SECOND EDITION 






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Force System Without the Whip. 



By ED. F. HABERLEIN. 



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Amateur Trainer. 




Force System Without the Whip. 



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By ED. F. HABERLEIN. 



SECOND EDITION, 1895. 
WITH PORTRAITS OF TYPICAL DOGS. 






Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1895, 

By ED. F. HABERLEIN, 
-in ihe office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



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PRESS OF KETCHESON A REEVES, 
LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, 



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RECOMMENDATION 



The attention of sportsmen is invited to the fact that 
this manual is a plain, concise, yet thorough guide in the art 
of training, handling and correcting of faults of the bird dog, 
subservient to the gun afield. The methods described and 
amply explained throughout these pages are based upon 
the author's experience, obtained during many years in 
training, handling and field-shooting, hence can be recom- 
mended to all amateurs who own a dog, whether trained or 
untrained, as perfectly reliable, and as giving all the infor- 
mation necessary to become a successful trainer and handler 
of the bird dog. Every reader will find at least something 
of interest and usefulness to him in the following pages, to 
amply repay him for the small outlay many times over. 
Respectfully submitted, 

THE AUTHOR. 



PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION, 



With considerable hesitancy — not fear of criticism — 
did I submit the first edition of the within work to the 
American sportsmen, well aware of the presence of many 
standard works upon the subject, whereby the field was 
well supplied, and there being, apparently, no demand for 
another guide-book on the subject of training the bird dog. 
Nevertheless, I felt perfectly confident that my methods, as 
derived from many years' experience, would not fail to find 
recognition, and be of aid to the amateur, to whom this 
manual is especially devoted. 

Several hundred commendatory letters (unsolicited), 
not only from amateurs, but also from trainers and sports- 
men who are acknowledged authorities, have been received 
by me, endorsing the methods of training in most flattering 
terms, by far overt nvering my most sanguine expectations. 

The sportsmen's press throughout the land, in unison, 
commented upon the little work in lavish terms, for which 
most sincere thanks are here expressed. 

A desire to be of aid to brother sportsmen in perfecting 
their dogs for utility afield, has been gratified in the fullest 
sense of the word. 

To avoid an impression as though self-praise were en- 
deavored, a few comments from acknowledged authorities 
upon the subject will hereto be appended. 
Fraternally yours, 

ED. HABERLEIN. 



TESTIMONIALS. 



* * * Your book, "The Amateur Trainer," has been received. 
I have read the book carefully from " start to finish." and will say with- 
out affectation, that I have read nothing on the subject of training in 
which I more heartily concur than your book. It reflects my views to 
a dot, and am glad that you have given us such a treatise. I have bred 
and shot over and trained my own dogs all my life, for fully fifty-five 
years, and think I ought to know something about it by this time, if I 
don't! Yes sir, I repeat, that I certainly like your book, and would be 
glad to see it in the hands of every gentleman sportsman. 

Fraternal] v vours, 
Whit e Post , V a. W M. C. K E X N ED Y . 

* * In my forty years' shooting afield, I had almost firmly 
come to believe that the only permanent cure lor well settled bad traits 
in a dog was to be accomplished by making a corpse of the dog, which 
I came very near doing with my present dog just before ordering " The 
Amateur Trainer," costing only one dollar, but worth it* weight in gohi 
to every owner of a bird dog. Most respectfully, 

Corsicana, Texas. M. DRANE. 



* * * I am in receipt of your book on dog training without 
the whip. It is based on common sense, and shows a thorough ac- 
quaintance with dog nature. There are many new and valuable hints. 
I am sure that all owners of dogs will be glad of such a manual, and 
hope it will be brought to their notice. 

Yours respectfully, 

OH AS. HALLOCK, 
Norfolk, Va. Founder of "Forest and Stream ." 



* * * Your book on training, although not as large as a Bible, 
I must say is the most sensible w r ork of its kind up to date I have all 
the standard works on the dog and his training, but yours is the most 
concise of them all. Truly yours, 

Dubuque, Iowa. c. c. LEMBKE. 



* * * I have your book, "The Amateur Trainer," and know 
that I will get good results from your system. I have read the insides 
out of almost all the dog books, but am sanguine this is the one! 

Most respectfully, C. F. WILBU K. 

Rolla, X. Dakota. 



INDEX 



PAGE. 

Introductory 9 

The Selection 12 

The Puppy 13 

Name 16 

To Heel 16 

Proper Age 17 

Force System 18 

Yard Training 19 

Train for a Purpose 20 

Loud Talk 21 

Obedience 21 

Pointing 22 

Retrieving 22 

Advanced Education 22 

PART I. 

Time to Begin 24 

" Lie Down ! " 25 

The Force Collar 26 

" Sit Down ! " 28 

" Come On ! " 30 

" Fetch ! " " Let Go ! " 30 

" Hold It ! " 32 

'• Fetch Here ! " 32 

" Fetch ! " " Hold It ! " " Let Go ! " 34 

" Charge ! " " Up ! " 38 

" Up Here ! " 41 

" Charge ! " " Fetch ! " 41 

The Pad 45 

The Whistle 46 

" Dead Bird ! " " Fetch : " 47 

'• Up Here ! " (at the kennel ) 48 

The Yard 49 

The Real Bird 50 

The Gun ! 52 

Drop to shot and Wing. ■' Fetch ! " 54 



8 INDEX. 

PART II 

Field Training 57 

Quartering 59 

" Hie On ! " 59 

Finding and Pointing. " Steady! " 61 

" Dead Bird ! " " Fetch ! " 62 

Mouthing or Mutilating. " Take Care ! " 63 

The Winged Bird 64 

The Rabbit 65 

Reverse the Collar 66 

Recalling From Point 67 

A Shooting Companion 68 

Jealousy 69 

Brace Work 70 

Backing 70 

The Hawk, etc 71 

Wide Range 72 

Retrieving From Water 73 

The Jack Snipe 75 

The Dog to Swim 75 

Duck Shooting From a Blind 76 

Duck Shooting From a Boat 77 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

The Spoiled Dog 78 

Breaking Shot 7'.» 

Whipshyness 81 

Watershyness 82 

Gunshyness 83 

The Runaway Dog 90 

Loaning the Dog 91 

Train Your Own Dogs 98 

Muddy Paws 96 

Kverybody's Dog <.k; 

Proper Feeding 97 



INTRODUCTORY. 



For ages the dog has been esteemed as an adjunct 
and servant to man — especially the sportsman. At 
this advanced age of civilization, the noble dog is 
more appreciated among the highest classes of man 
than ever before in the history of the world. Not 
more than a generation ago it was deemed degrading 
to go afield with dog and gun. To-day, men of the 
most exalted positions in life, from the President of 
the Nation down to the humblest citizen, cherish 
and highly appreciate the noble sport with dog and 
gun afield. 

Shooting afield without the aid of a trained dog 
is very poor sport indeed, but nevertheless much 
better than to be vexed with an uncultivated, obsti- 
nate dog, who is the source of constant annoyances 
and anger. 

If the sportsman is the possessor of a field dog, 
efficient, obedient and affectionate, he sallies forth 
confident of such an enjoyable outing as only a true 
sportsman can enjoy and fully appreciate, for it is 
not only the large number of birds brought to bag 
that inspires and gratifies, but rather it is the fine 
performance of his faithful dog that leads to the 
highest appreciation and enjoyment of the sport. 



10 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

From lack of proper training the great majority 
of the dogs taken afield are practically unfit to be 
shot over. A dog of the most approved breeding, 
possessed of all necessary natural qualifications 
without the requisite training, must necessarily be 
a source of annoyance to such an extent as to rob 
the shooter of the enjoyment anticipated. 

Not every shooter has the gift to properly fit his 
dog for field work, especially without having made 
the subject a study — some not even having a correct 
conception of how a dog should perform afield, much 
less the ability and patience to inculcate the desirable 
accomplishments. 

The supposition that to become the possessor of 
a fine field dog, the only requisite necessary is to 
procure a puppy of some noted strain of bird dogs, 
and after he has reached the proper age, he can be 
taken afield, hunted and shot over with pleasure, is 
an illusion. 

The dog inherits natural qualities, such as nose, 
speed, hunting and finding of game, etc.; but not a 
particle of the accomplishments of his progenitors, 
acquired by judicious training is inherited, and 
therefore, all such accomplishments as are desired 
must be taught in one way or another to each and 
every individual dog. 

The person undertaking to train a dog should 
inform himself fully upon the subject, have good 
judgment, controllable temper, love for the dog, and 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 11 

perseverance. Without these qualifications all 
hopes of success will end in sad disappointment. 

To possess a well trained field dog is the height 
of ambition of every sportsman, but to purchase 
such a dog or to have one trained by some profes- 
sional trainer is not always within reach of the 
sportsman ; therefore he must rely upon his own 
skill in perfecting his dog. 

As an illustration of the cost to have a dog 
trained by a professional trainer, the following 
editorial clipped from the American Field, date of 
April 29, 1893, will give a very good idea : 

" Almost daily we are asked to give the name of 
a good trainer. Some want their dogs broken for 
field trials, and others for field shooting only. In a 
majority of cases the latter will write us complain- 
ing that the charge of those whose names we had 
given was too high, being seventy-five or one 
hundred dollars; and wanting the name of a first- 
class man, but whose charges are moderate. We 
are sorry that it cannot be done, but it is a fact that 
a first-class article cannot be bought for a second 
class price; we are therefore not able to comply 
with the request. The man who charges one 
hundred dollars to train a dog, and does it properly, 
earns every cent, and we really cannot see how it 
can be done for less." 

This sounds rather discouraging for the im- 
pecunious sportsman. Well aware of the fact that 
a large majority of sportsmen cannot afford to ex- 
pend such a sum of money to procure a dog fit to be 
proud of, these pages were written. By study, ex- 



12 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

perience in training and handling bird dogs during 
the past thirty years, the writer has acquired a thor- 
ough knowledge of the subject, and if the lover of a 
really good dog will not mind time and trouble, he 
can perfect a bird dog, with which he would not like 
to part for almost any price. Follow the instruc- 
tions laid down in these pages carefully, and success 
will be inevitable. 

THE SELECTION. 

The selection of a dog as to breed must be left 
entirely to the fancy of each individual sportsman. 
While the one prefers a Pointer, the other may insist 
upon a Setter. Both breeds have advantages and 
disadvantages over each other as a breed. These 
should be considered as to the special requirements 
for the locality and its peculiarities, to obtain satis- 
factory results of the work desired by the dog. 

Usually the " pointing " instinct is developed at 
less age in the Pointer than in the Setter. The 
Pointer is far more submissive, hence generally re- 
quires less time and patience to train ; can be taught 
to work admirably the first season; endures greater 
heat with less fatigue, owing to his light coat ; is 
also spared the torture of burrs, etc. But, on the 
other hand, he suffers greatly in cold weather, heavy 
thickets and briars. To subjugate a Pointer to the 
retrieving of water fowls (the season of which is 
naturally at a low temperature ), even if he be ever so 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 13 

willing to perform this task, may well be termed 
barbaric. 

The Setter is much more dashing and enduring, 
exhibits more vim throughout his work, is stauncher 
at point and in backing; in ranging, far the 
superior ; as a retriever from land or water, greatly 
preferable ; retains his training better, and gen- 
erally is useful many more years than the Pointer, 
and withal a most amiable companion. 

An extensive pedigree is no guarantee of the 
ultimate usefulness of a dog in the field ; yet the off- 
spring of a pure strain of field dogs cannot be recom- 
mended too highly. Although very good dogs are 
occasionally produced from inferior stock, no chances 
should be taken in the matter of purity of breed. 

THE PUPPY. 

The puppy is usually procured at an age of from 
six to ten weeks, and the enthusiasm over the new 
acquisition mostly runs high. Such exultation is 
excusable; but do not imagine your precious puppy 
should receive at least his primary training lessons 
before he is fairly weaned — such a folly should 
never be conceived. 

If possible give your puppy a capacious yard to 
romp in; if a companion is accessible, all the better. 
Never allow him to loaf and loiter about. Give 
nutritious food, but avoid overfeeding. Never 
abuse or frighten him at any time; treat him kindly 



14 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

to gain his confidence and affection; make it a 
point to administer his food in person, thereby as- 
sociating your presence with pleasure and benefit 
to himself. 

At the age of three or four months commence to 
take the puppy to a likely place of game birds, but 
take no gun; thickets are to be avoided. Allow him 
to follow out his own inclinations in roaming about, 
nosing out birds, giving chase to his heart's con- 
tent, etc., and never attempt to restrain him in this 
particular sport. In doing so you can observe much 
of the embryo, instinctive and functional qualifica- 
tions of the future pupil. The more enthusiasm and 
vim he may display, the more promising the puppy. 
If of somewhat timid disposition, so that the flutter 
of wings may startle him, then do your utmost to 
encourage and strengthen his ambition. From this 
time forward continue to visit the open field with 
the puppy, for the purpose of allowing him to search 
for and find game in his own way, until the time 
arrives when yard training shall commence. The 
more opportunities the puppy is given in finding 
birds, the quicker he will establish the habit of 
systematic hunting and pointing. It is best not to 
endeavor to assist the puppy in the finding and 
pointing beyond leading into a locality where oppor- 
tunities may be most plentiful. Finding and point- 
ing are instincts that cannot be enhanced by the 
trainer. If a puppy is continually called off, in- 
duced to go here and there, etc., he soon ceases to 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 15 

hunt in a natural way, is constantly expecting some 
interference from his handler, and becomes a pot- 
terer of the worst kind. 

From the above it should not be inferred the dog 
is not to be restricted in any particular. Observe 
closely the manner of hunting, and the nature of the 
game he seeks mostty. If found to be of the desired 
species, very well; encourage in that line; but if he 
runs heedlessly about, merely giving chase a short 
distance to small birds or larks that he may get 
sight of, stops at all holes in the ground to dig for 
mice, giving full chase to rabbits, etc., etc., then it 
becomes the duty of the trainer to interfere, and to 
discourage such proceedings. If possible, this 
should be done without resorting to punishment, 
for if the puppy should be harshly treated afield he 
will conceive the idea that the punishment received 
was for hunting, and may henceforth refuse to hunt 
at all, come to heel, and cannot be induced to work 
again till all fear of punishment has subsided. The 
action of the puppy afield will clearly demonstrate 
his fitness for future practical work, and until this 
point is satisfactory settled in the trainer's mind, 
no attempt should be made at any further training. 
If the pointing instinct has not been developed at a 
reasonable age, do not condemn the puppy if he 
shows hunt, finds and chases birds, etc. In this 
case the training may proceed, fully confident that 
the deficiency will be overcome in time by nature. 

Eefrain from allowing the puppy to follow you 



16 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

on a hunting trip either with or without another 
dog, for if a shot should be fired in close proximity 
to the young aspirant, he may be so frightened as to 
become gunshy, tuck in his tail and pull straight 
away for home or to any place of imaginary safety 
close by — a fault that requires much time and the 
nicest judgment to overcome. 

NAME. 

The name to which the dog is to respond in prac- 
tical life should be short and of good ring. Long 
names and those that resemble some of the orders of 
the dog's work should be avoided for obvious rea- 
sons. 

TO HEEL. 

On going to and coming from the field, the dog 
should not be allowed to run at will, but be held to 
take his place invariably at heel. This is easily ac- 
complished by attaching a cord about five feet long- 
to his plain collar, taking cord into left hand at 
about two feet from the collar; the balance of cord 
is taken into right hand and switched to right and 
left in the bight of dog's head upon starting oif, giv- 
ing order, " Heel ! " The dog may endeavor to press 
forward or tug back. The first is prevented by the 
short end of cord playing continually from side to 
side, and the latter will be impossible to a greater 
distance than about two feet, which is about the 
right place for the dog when at heel. This lesson 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 17 

also comes into play frequently later on, and has the 
advantage at this time of preventing the puppy 
from running into yards on passing by, assures from 
straying before reaching destination, and from tak- 
ing a short cut for home to reach same sooner upon 
the return. But should the puppy be timid in the 
least this lesson must be deferred to a later date, 
when full courage has been attained. 

THE PROPER AGE. 

The proper age at which to commence training 
cannot be precisely given, for the reason that the 
dog's health, development, established courage, and 
confidence, must be duty considered. As a rule, 
eight or ten months old is early enough, and twelve 
to eighteen months is none too late. In fact, dogs 
fully matured can be subjected to more force and ac- 
quire knowledge with greater precision in ex- 
perienced hands than a puppy under one year of 
age. In his practice in the training of field dogs 
the writer has developed the best and most useful 
clogs in the shortest time among so-called "old 
dogs/' but a novice should not attempt such a feat; 
he will succeed far better with a young dog, and 
learn himself by degrees as he progresses in the dif- 
ferent stages of training. Training is an art which 
requires inclination, talent, a thorough study of the 
dog's nature, etc., and must be conducted in a sys- 
tematic manner, if to be rewarded by success. Dogs 



18 THE AMATEUR TRAINER 

of all breeds differ considerably as to the individual 
intelligence, disposition, inclination and peculiari- 
ties, etc.; therefore judgment on part of the trainer 
is quite essential in applying any given methods. 
The methods as herein laid down are taught by the 
so-called 

FORCE SYSTEM, 

omitting suasion and the whip, applying the force 
collar to effect attention and obedience, words of 
praise and caresses to encourage and reward. The 
suasion system finds no favor among practical train- 
ers, although dogs are perfected to a high degree in 
that way, but a proficiency is accomplished only by 
the greatest patience, innumerable vexations and 
loss of time, and the dog so taught may at times 
work faulty or even refuse orders at any juncture if 
contrary to his inclinations, leaving the handler 
helpless in such cases, necessitating beginning anew 
with such a dog; but withal, that is the only system 
to be adopted by any would-be trainer of eccentric 
and erratic temper, for, if he should attempt train- 
ing by force, with either whip or collar, the results 
must necessarily be disastrous. 

The whip may be brought to use to good ad- 
vantage at times by an experienced trainer, but 
should never be resorted to by an amateur, for, if 
applied injudiciously and without proper judgment, 
most harmful effects may result. 

If the dog has been trained by force the accom- 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 19 

plishments are permanent and will not require re- 
hearsing; although a dog may become dull and inat- 
tentive to orders through lack of work during long 
intervals, it will require but little reprimanding to 
correct his forgetful n ess. Train the dog to be sub- 
servient to the gun, break him of faults and unde- 
sirable habits. Training and shooting over a puppy 
until advanced to the proper stages are incompatible. 
Lay a broad foundation for the superstructure of the 
dog's education by giving systematic and thorough 
yard training by the methods as described herein- 
after. By doing so, perfect submission and obedi- 
ence to his master is implanted. The entire course 
is calculated to establish a practical usefulness of 
the dog subservient to the gun. 

YARD TRAINING. 

Yard training is the primary education of the 
dog, during which every detail is to be carefully ob- 
served, and the slightest faults and imperfections 
corrected as soon as discovered. If this is done 
properly, future complications and vexations will 
be avoided to a great extent. This part of the dog's 
training is the most difficult, requiring an abundance 
of patience, and cannot be too carefully done. 
Every folio vving lesson will be overcome with com- 
parative ease in astonishing quick succession if the 
foundation has been well laid, so that the dog will 
readily comprehend what is expected of him, and 
made to obey orders promptly. If the dog does 



20 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

not seem to understand, gets confused, and per- 
forms badly, the fault will lay with the trainer, who 
is endeavoring to crowd too much into his head at 
a time, also probably giving contrary orders in 
quick succession, which would bewilder even a dog- 
far more advanced. While regularity in the giving 
of lessons is quite important, the trainer should use 
his judgment in regards to duration of the separate 
lessons. To begin with, one-half hour will be suf- 
ficient, which time may gradually be extended to 
one hour for each lesson; in this matter much de- 
pends upon the development and constitution of the 
dog. Give sufficient nutritious food twice a day, 
but avoid overfeeding, and let him have access 
to fresh water at all times. The time required to 
properly train, depends equally upon the intelli- 
gence, capabilities and endurance of both the dog 
and trainer. 

During the first season, training of the dog- 
should be made the principal object; let shooting be 
secondary. While training, no spectators are ad- 
missible for many reasons. In order to make any 
progress, the dog and trainer must give each other 
their full attention, which cannot be done in the 
presence of a second person. 

TRAIX FOR A PURPOSE. 

The sportsman desires a dog useful in field 
shooting, and the object of these pages is to enable 
him to produce such a dog through his own efforts 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 21 

Training for field shooting differs materially from 
preparing for field trials. For the first purpose a 
good, steady, serviceable dog is desired, while in the 
latter case most stress is laid upon racing propen- 
sities and the exhibition of functional powers, but 
not on perfection of training for practical field 
shooting. Field trials of dogs are of great impor- 
tance to breeders ; by those trials the best and fittest 
breeds and strains are ascertained for the propaga- 
tion of field dogs, hence field trials have no signifi- 
cance as to the proper training of dogs for actual 
field work. 

LOUD TALK. 

The trainer should avoid loud and harsh talk 
during the exercises. It is unnecessary to give 
commands at top of voice at close quarters, and if 
continued, the dog will become accustomed to it, 
and in the future necessitate loud and louder bawl- 
ing to attract his attention at all. 

OBEDIENCE. 

Insist upon implicit obedience, and always avoid 
giving orders at such times when you cannot 
effectually enforce them. If the dog finds himself 
out of reach, he will soon learn to sulk and follow 
out his own inclinations. For practical field work 
the vocabulary should be confined strictly to the ap- 
plication of orders, omitting all superfluous words. 



22 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

POINTING. 

The pointing instinct of the dog, if well bred," is 
one of the natural gifts or qualifications of the 
Pointer and Setter, but is developed at quite differ- 
ent ages in puppies, some taking to it at the age of 
two or three months, while others (even of the same 
litter) will not stand or point game satisfactorily 
before maturity. If such deficiency in the natural 
development is found, it will be best to trust to 
time, and not endeavor to effect this by training, 
which, however, can be done, but is never performed 
in a satisfactory manner to the sportsman, and 
w T ould also have a bad effect on the dog's future 
sagacity. 

RETRIEVING. 

Eetrieving is one of the most useful accomplish- 
ments of the practical field dog, and does in no wise 
injure or affect his nose and finding abilities, as is 
often claimed. A dog that is not taught to retrieve 
cannot be considered fully trained, and if a sports- 
man has but the one dog, this accomplishment is 
obviously indispensable. 

ADVANCED EDUCATION. 

The dog is capable of receiving a high degree of 
education, which may be carried on in his sphere 
ad infinitum. 

The average sportsman wants a dog principally 
to accompany him in the field for the purpose of 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 23 

finding, pointing and retrieving game, and if the 
dog performs these feats well, his mission will be 
filled; therefore, the following pages will not con- 
tain anything pertaining to the art of teaching tricks 
of any kind in a direct way, such as would 
ultimately culminate in a circus dog. If it be the 
desire to teach some funny tricks, it may easily be 
done after going through this course, for then the 
dog has learned to promptly obey orders, is entirely 
submissive, and if, on the part of the trainer, a little 
common sense and judgment is applied, most aston- 
ishing tricks may be taught in a very short time. 
The dog under consideration is to be perfected for 
practical usefulness in the field, and when this is 
done the writer's endeavors will have been accom- 
plished. 



Jbr 



tiM 



24 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 



PART I. 



TIME TO BEGIN. 

When the time has arrived deemed proper to 
begin the systematic training of the puppy selected 
for this purpose, provide, if not already done, a 
suitable kennel; attach to this near the ground a 
sufficiently strong but not unnecessarily heavy chain, 
five or six feet long. Secure a plain leather collar 
around the neck of the puppy, sufficiently tight so 
he cannot by any means slip the same over his 
head; at the same time be careful not to buckle the 
collar any tighter than necessary; then tie up the 
dog and let him alone for a short time. For obvious 
reasons do not attempt to secure the dog with a 
cord, strap, or the like, to his kennel. 

Except when in the hands of the trainer, the dog 
must be kept chained to his kennel during the 
entire course of training, but from time to time, at 
the leisure of the trainer, a good run for exercise 
should be allowed him. 

As soon as the dog finds himself deprived of his 
wonted liberty, he naturally will attempt to free 
himself of his fetters, and a spell of tugging and 



J* 






Up 








1 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 25 

yelping will follow, lasting for several days, if not 
effectually checked sooner. Let him have his own 
way about it for awhile; perhaps before long he 
may come to the conclusion that his behavior is 
alike foolish and useless, and he may cease his 
acrobatic performances. If he does not submit to 
the inevitable at once, don't be alarmed — it won't 
hurt the chain and collar, nor the dog! Should he 
not quiet in due time, then proceed in the following 
manner to stop the racket. 

"LIE DOWN!" 

Get a stout but limber switch, walk up close to 
the dog and gently tap him with it, increasing the 
switching until he seeks to escape the punishment 
by retreating into the kennel; then give the order: 
"Lie down!" While he remains within keep the 
switch playing against the side of the kennel, often 
repeating the command. Turn to side and out of 
view of dog, and decrease raps on kennel, finally 
ceasing, but remain in position perfectly quiet and 
motionless. In a few minutes the puppy will expect 
to be alone, bound out and repeat his former yelp- 
ing; instantly the switch is again brought to play 
against the kennel, whereupon he will quickly re- 
treat within. Eepeat a few times, then quickly 
steal away some little distance and keep concealed. 
The puppy may remain within, but howl or yelp. 
In this case throw a pebble or other small object 
against the kennel; this will remind him of your 



26 THE AMATEUR TRAINEE. 

presence, and he will hush up. A number of 
repetitions will be necessary. If at any time during 
the night the barking shall occur, go but and lay on 
the switch a little heavier. If this is properly done 
at the start, the effect will be permanent, so that at 
the word given he will instantly stop and lie down. 
If this part can be done by any other person 
usually about the house it will be all the better for 
this reason ; if at any time the music should occur 
while you are absent, there will be none to stop it 
until your reappearance, avoiding also the creating 
of any fear from you. Do not attempt any further 
proceedings for the next three or four days. Give 
the dog time to get accustomed to the chain, and to 
forget his playfulness. 

THE FORCE COLLAR. 

The force collar now comes into use. A number 
of so-called spike collars are now uj:>on the market, 
most of which are unfit for the purpose designed. 
A very good collar in every respect is manufactured 
by Ed. F. Haberlein, of McPherson, Kan., which is 
sent postpaid upon receipt of $1.00. 

The first period of training should be done in a 
vacant room or barn, of which the floor must be 
swept clean of all litter. The attire of the trainer 
should have nothing flopping or dangling about 
it; a snug fitting jacket or short coat is best. 
Wear a pair of soft leather gloves for the pro- 
tection of the hands. Go up to the dog, unhook 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 27 

the chain, and lead him quietly into the room, 
closing the door. Gently slip the force collar over 
his head (buckle to right), leaving the attached 
cord of about eight feet in length drop to floor; then 
unbuckle his plain collar and place same and chain 
out of the way. The dog, expecting to be freed, 
will instantly wheel about in the endeavor to creep 
off into a corner to lie down. Here the first intro- 
duction to the collar is made. Upon reaching the 
end of cord, which you now have taken firmly in 
hand, the collar draws tight, choking and pinching 
his neck, and a fierce battle against the annoyance 
will follow. Stand at the spot, allowing him to jerk 
and tear about till quieted, which will last but a few 
minutes, he soon finding the pain to subside when 
slacking up. Now take up the cord in short links 
into the right hand till you stand even at his right 
side, holding cord loose in left hand to allow a slide of 
same if necessary. Give the order, "Come on!" 
and proceed forward slowly, allowing him about 
eighteen inches of cord. If he tugs back do not 
yield, but keep on a slow walk about two feet from 
the wall, turning to right at the corners. Do not 
speak till after you have made one round of the 
room; stop at place of beginning; allow the dog a 
few moment's rest, then again give command, 
"Come on!" and proceed as before. After thirty 
rounds he will have learned that to keep the proper 
distance, not running afore or tugging back, he 
encounters no pain, hence will quietly submit. 



28 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

Now stroke and pat him, also speak kindly, such as 
"Good boy," etc.; reach for his plain collar, buckle 
it on, slowly strip pff the force collar (buckle side 
up), lay it aside, take up the chain' and lead him 
out co the kennel; attach and leave him without 
further proceedings. 

During the hot season it is best to select either 
the cool hours of morning or evening for the lessons 
to be given, and the same hour should be adhered to 
each day, if possible. 

As on the day previous, bring in the dog, put on 
the force collar, and make a few rounds in the man- 
ner as before, then reverse by placing the dog 
towards the center of the room and yourself towards 
the wall, and march to the left. The dog will be 
apt to run ahead and obstruct your way; prevent 
this by taking up cord short, so as to bring his head 
about parallel with your body, and when turning to 
left, raise the left foot high, near up to his head, 
slightly touching him on side, whereupon he will 
turn away to the desired direction. Avoid stepping 
upon his feet. After fifteen rounds to the left 
alternate the walk from left to right, and continue 
same until he well understands and closely watches 
your movements. Lead to kennel in former manner. 

"SIT DOWN!" 

Bring in your dog; make a few rounds to right 
and left, stopping in center of room; take up the 
cord short into right hand, releasing hold with left; 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 29 

with it reach to his loins; lay the four fingers on 
left, the thumb to right, across the small of back; 
press slightly together and downward, at the same 
time draw backward with right hand on cord and 
give command, "Sit down!" Prevent him from 
lying down entirely by holding him up with collar, 
but get him into a sitting posture on his haunches. 
Keep him in this sitting position a few moments, 
repeating meanwhile the order. Eelease hand on 
back, say " Good boy," or anything pleasing to him; 
make a few steps to and fro, and again let him "sit 
down." Alternate this with the foregoing lesson 
during entire time allotted. 

The dog now sits without aid. Take firm hold 
of cord, close up to buckle (now with left hand), 
repeating the command. Do not move from the 
spot, but raise one foot, as if intending to advance; 
he will instantly endeavor to rise and follow; 
prevent this with hold on collar; move foot further 
away; place it before and then around him, always 
facing the dog; slowly move backward and up 
again; lengthen hold on cord; step backward 
gradually to about two feet, and again come up. 
Do all this while he sits motionless. Take a few 
steps with dog in former manner, to rest yourself. 
Bring to "sit down," and repeat the backward 
movements to a distance of three feet; then by 
degrees, first to one side, then to the other, and 
finally behind and around him, increasing the dis- 
tance from the dog by every turn, until he sits 



30 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

complacently watching your movements around 
him all over the room. Now exercise these three 
lessons in connection until perfectly firm. One 
hour will be required to accomplish this. 

"COME ON!" 

The dog now understands that upon the order 
"Sit down!" he is to take a sitting position im- 
mediately, and remain so until ordered off. After 
he sits quietly for a time and allows you to circle all 
around him, step up close to his right side, take line 
at short length in left hand, give command, "Come 
on ! " and proceed a short distance (about ten steps), 
order " Sit down ! " encircle while he sits, and again 
step up, commanding, "Come on ! " Twenty repeti- 
tions will suffice. 

"FETCH!" "LET GO!" 

Procure a few clean corn cobs, of which one 
will come into use at present, while the balance 
may be laid away for future use. It will be 
well to change to a new cob each day, for the reason 
that the one in use soon becomes soiled and offensive 
to the puppy. The dog is brought in, and after a 
few repetitions of the former lessons, is brought to 
" Sit down ! " about in the center of room. Drop the 
line out of both hands; place right hand under his 
jaw and raise his head to a horizontal position and 
let it remain so; then bring the left hand in position 
by laying thumb on the right, the four fingers on 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 31 

left of upper jaw, so that when the hand is drawn 
together, the dog's upper lip is pressed against his 
fangs, causing some pain — sufficient to force him to 
open his mouth instantly. In the meantime, the 
right hand has reached into the jacket pocket and 
taken the cob, which is now quickly placed into his 
open mouth, givingcommand," Fetch ! " releasingthe 
grip of left, but supporting under jaw with the right 
hand — in fact, letting him rest on it, and repeating 
the command often. Prevent the dog from jerking 
his head aside and throwing out the cob by having 
left hand close to him, and slightly hold his mouth 
shut down upon the cob, which he will easily sub- 
mit to, the cob being soft and not offensive to him. 
After he has held the cob for a few moments, take it 
from him carefully by taking hold of same with 
right hand on left side; lay fingers of left hand 
under point of lower jaw; place the thumb against 
under lip, directly in front, and shove lip up against 
and over the teeth ; at the same time give order, 
"Let go!" The slight pain caused by pressing the 
thumb against the lip over the lower small, sharp 
teeth, will have the effect to instantly open his 
mouth. Withdraw the cob, but do not pull or jerk 
it out, under any circumstances; merely hold firmly 
and let the dog draw away from it. Eemain at the 
place and go through this same lesson ten times, 
then order, "Come on!" and go through a few 
former maneuvers, then repeat lesson again. Put 
in a full hour to instruct this lesson. 



32 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

"HOLD IT!" 

The dog sits, the cob is placed into his mouth as 
before, (well balanced, so that the ends do not pro- 
trude more on one side than the other), withdraw 
left hand and give order, "Hold it!" repeatedly; 
then gradually slide right hand, which still supports 
lower jaw, back and forward and up on side, 
diminishing support by degrees till hand is finally 
lowered and clog holds without aid. Care must be 
taken that the dog does not jerk aside at this juncture 
and throw out the cob; therefore stoop low down 
and have both hands in readiness to quickly grab 
his mouth and hold cob in should this occur, but do 
not press hard. If the cob is held steady a few 
moments without aid, he will understand what is 
wanted; then gently pat him on the head and speak 
kind words. Now remove cob in former manner, 
with " Let go ! "; order to " Come on ! " and after a few 
rounds, during which dog is not to carry anything, 
repeat. This lesson is not difficult, only requiring 
due time and care. Fill in your allotted time with 
the repetition of former lessons in connection with 
the new one, but do not attempt to make the dog 
carry the cob; the holding as yet is only to be done 
in a sitting position. 

"FETCH HERE!" 

The clog arts holding cob without aid of either 
hand. Place yourself in stooping position before 
the dog; take short grip of cord with left hand and 



THE AMATEUR TRAINEU. 33 

place right hand under jaw as support, in former 
manner; order " Fetch here ! " draw up cord, forcing- 
dog to rise, and follow on your backward move- 
ments. Most likely he will endeavor to jerk aside 
and throw out the cob. Prevent this, and gently 
force him forward, by degrees, a few feet only; then 
order, "Sit down!" "Hold it!" Pat and show ap- 
probation. Take cob from him by "Let go ! " After 
a few r other repetitions, return to the "Fetch here! " 
When noticed that he does not rely on the support 
of right hand, even if he only drags along in an'un- 
willing manner, then gradually lower right hand 
till it ceases to touch his jaw, but the hand must be 
close to his mouth at all times to prevent him from 
dropping the cob. No matter how poorly this 
lesson may go and what demonstrations the dog- 
may make, force him along with you in your back- 
ward movements. Be careful also to prevent the 
cord from coming in contact with cob, whereb} 7 it 
might be pushed to one side or entirely out of his 
mouth. When you notice that he has understood 
the meaning of the order, then let him "sit down," 
holding cob, and go through maneuvers as in the 
lesson of "Sit down," by slowly moving first to one 
side, then to the other, and around him. When the 
carrying in a straightw T ay direction goes fairly well, 
then make the usual turns, to the right at first, as 
in this way the left leg does not come in contact 
with cob, by which it might be pushed out. After 
this, make turn to right and left alternately, 



34 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

observing dog's movements closely, and preventing 
dropping of cob. Put in the full time teaching this 
lesson. 

"FETCH!" "HOLD IT!" "LET GO!" 

Up to this time the dog has only been required 
to hold, carry and let go the cob, when placed in his 
mouth ; it is now time he should take hold himself. 

Let him sit down, drop cord out of both hands, 
lay the cob on your outstretched flat hand, evenly 
balanced, shove hand slowly forward, pass the fingers 
under jaw till cob touches his mouth; now pass left 
hand over upper jaw in former manner, press on 
both sides as heretofore, give order, " Fetch ! " and 
as the mouth is opened roll the cob into it, at the 
same time order, "Hold it! " Bemove the hand if 
he holds, pat, etc. Then order "Let go! " Bemain 
at place and repeat fifteen times. Best yourself and 
dog by a few circles and repetitions of former 
lessons, then repeat the same. Be content if the 
dog only shows slight inclination to grasp the cob, 
and continue to assist in his endeavor to do so, and 
as soon as you notice he has understood the mean- 
ing, let him hold; order "Fetch here!" stepping 
off quite slowly after each time of grasping. 

In forcing the dog's mouth open with left hand 
over upper jaw, it will not be necessary to press too 
hard to effect this, and the pressure must be 
diminished more and more till a mere touch in con- 
nection with order to "Fetch ! " will be sufficient to 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 35 

open his mouth. If continually pressed quite hard 
it may happen that the dog, in anticipation of the 
coming pain, will try to avoid this by snapping at 
the hand; no danger, however, is to be apprehended 
from this, for if the manipulation is carried on with 
dexterity, the trainer has complete control of the 
dog at the time; he is not able to either turn the 
head or move the body from the spot. If, however, 
the dog should be of vicious disposition or the 
trainer timid, then proceed as follows: Hold cob 
on flat, outstretched hand as before, grasp cord short 
with left, turn collar, so when drawn up tight the 
cord comes directly in center of back of neck; give 
order "Fetch!" simultaneously drawing up cord 
tight. The ensuing pain will cause the dog to open 
his mouth instantly to give a yell ; at this moment 
slide or roll the cob into it; order "Hold it!" and 
after a few moments order " Fetch here! " Take a 
round in room, then repeat till he will fairly grab 
at cob when order is given. 

In the following lesson the dog will be required 
to reach out for the object to be taken. Proceed in 
former way, but hold cob about one inch in front of 
dog's mouth, laying cob flat on right hand and 
extending the fingers forward to support as hereto- 
fore. After the dog takes object, order "Fetch 
here!" at once, and after bringing him to a "sit 
down," flatter him by praise and caresses; follow 
up by former .exercises, and again return to this 
lesson. 



36 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

If the foregoing has been well executed, increase 
the distance to about three inches in manner as 
before. This will show new complications, for the 
reason in order to reach the object the dog must 
now raise his body and lean forward. 

Do not pass this lesson too hasty, because this is 
the connecting link with the following more difficult 
exercises. 

Bring the dog to a "sit clown ; " the right hand 
on which the cob rests is now extended about one 
foot from the dog on a horizontal line with head. 
Upon order "Fetch!" the dog may endeavor to 
evade by lying down or turning to one side. In 
this case use left hand over jaw in former manner, 
and if fear is entertained of a probable bite, grasp 
cord at ab.out one foot length from collar, turning 
latter so as to bring noose directly below, giving 
quite a sharp jerk just at command " Fetch ! " ; draw 
and jerk forward till he reaches out and takes hold 
as before; then start off at once with order "Fetch 
here!" It will be understood that the fingers of 
right hand can no longer act as support, which will 
not be necessary now if the foregoing lessons have 
been carefully gone through with, so the dog will 
have fully understood the meaning of each command. 
The submissive dog usually takes to tnis extension 
with comparatively little difficulty, while the head- 
strong dog may require considerable punishment 
with the collar before submitting in a business-like 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 37 

manner. Alternate this with former lessons till 
quite acceptably performed. 

So far the dog has not been required to either 
raise or lower the head in grasping object. The 
right hand now holds the cob at the former distance 
of one foot from the dog, but about four inches higher 
than the level of his mouth. This makes it difficult 
for him, because he must stretch out and up to take 
hold. If the left hand grip on jaw is used, reverse 
from top to lower jaw by pressing under lip against 
teeth in the direction of the right hand, but if the 
cord is resorted to, then use as in last lesson, but 
turn noose down, as then by drawing forward the 
dog's head is elevated and brought on a level with 
cob. This lesson will not be difficult, merely 
requiring due time and alternating with foregoing 
exercises. 

The next lesson will be to have the dog grasp at 
one foot distance and four inches lower, which will 
not be difficult, but it may happen that he will drop 
the object after taking it, because the collar is now 
adjusted in a reverse manner of the former lesson, 
so the noose will be on back of neck, causing the dog 
to lower the head as he is drawn forward ; therefore 
give support under the jaw with right hand the 
moment he takes hold, and raise the head to a level 
and at once order, "Fetch here! " Then proceed to 
make a tour. If, however, after a few repetitions, 
the dropping of object has not ceased, give reprimand 



38 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

by word and jerks with cord till overcome, and do 
not fail to connect this with former exercises. 

If the previous lessons are now well executed, 
then proceed by increasing the distance in a hori- 
zontal line gradually to about four feet; then, at 
this distance, four to eight inches higher; then four 
to eight inches lower ; but the object is not yet to 
be dropped to the floor to be picked up by the dog. 
It will be found that the dog may come up to the 
object at this distance, but then refuse to take hold 
of it ; in this case reprimand and repeat until nicely 
performed. 

" CHARGE ! M "UP!" 

At the command, " Charge ! " the dog is required 
to assume an outstretched attitude upon the ground 
by keejDing the hind quarters in position as in " sit 
down," extend his fore legs forward and about eight 
inches apart, and place head directly between them 
flat on the ground, which is taught in the following 
manner : The dog is brought to " sit down "; the 
trainer takes position close to right of dog, lays left 
hand upon his shoulders, while the right hand 
reaches down and grasps both legs of dog at first 
joint, quickly drawing them out forward, pressing 
down on shoulders with left, and give order, 
" Charge ! " The dog involuntarily is brought down 
to the ground. Adjust fore legs to line straight 
with body, and gently press his head down, not, 
however, hard enough to cause him any incon- 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 39 

venience. Insist upon remaining quietly in this 
position by holding down a few moments; pat and 
stroke, repeating "Charge!" often; then release 
the hold, raise up yourself and order "Up! " The 
order, "Up ! " is usually responded to quickly, be- 
cause the dog does not fancy this outstretched posi- 
tion. Praise and repeat the entire proceeding a 
number of times; alternate with a few rounds with- 
out making him carry object, only to rest both 
yourself and dog; then again have him "charge." 
As this lesson is quite tiresome, owing to the 
crouched position, it maybe well to shorten same or 
to fill in time by going through former exercises. 

The next lesson will be to teach the dog to re- 
main at "Charge" without holding him down. 
Bring to "charge;" lay left hand upon dog's head 
lightly while in stooping position, and raise one foot 
as to start off. The dog will instantly try to rise 
and follow, having learned to constantly be close up 
to the trainer. Hold him down after repeating the 
command, "Charge! " ; gradually move off a little 
further, but not more than the outstretched left 
hand will permit, turn to left side and return, then 
come up to right side and order " Up ! " By degrees 
the dog will learn to remain quietly in lying posi- 
tion when hand is entirely removed from head, then 
rise to standing position, face dog and constantly 
keep your eye on his. Baise forefinger of right 
hand to warn him; retreat gradually to a distance 
of some eight or ten feet, but always come up from 



40 THE AMATEUR TRAINER 

front again; then keep right hand close to dog's 
head, and pass around to right of him, but not en- 
tirely around him yet; return and turn to his left. 
If he remains perfectly motionless while he lies at 
"charge," praise him much; but if the slightest 
motion is made by turning head to side, etc., press 
it down, and say "Charge!" in a stronger, more 
commanding tone. The stooping position which 
must be maintained during this lesson, is quite tire- 
some to the trainer, and must therefore be often 
relieved with other exercises. Order "Up!" to 
move about. If the dog should now refuse to obey 
the order "Up! " promptly, then give light jerk on 
cord, which will bring him quickly to his feet. 
Practice this lesson till well understood and 
promptly executed. 

Bring the dog to "charge;" make a few back- 
ward movements in front of him to a distance of 
about ten feet. From time to time say "Charge!" 
and also raise the right hand to a level with head, 
flat, outstretched palm facing the dog, and return to 
left side. Pat the dog to show your approbation, 
but do not allow him to rise. From this on con- 
stantl} 7 associate the raising of right hand with the 
order, "Charge! " which sign the dog soon learns 
to obey without further command. By degrees pass 
first to one, then to the other side, and finally en- 
tirely around the dog. Meanwhile repeat the order 
often, and prevent him from raising his head to 
watch your movements when out of his sight, and 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 41 

always come up to his right side before ordering 
"Up! " By so doing. the dog soon learns to under- 
stand that he must remain at "charge" till you 
come to usual place at his side. Increase the dis- 
tance from dog in front and behind to about twenty 
feet, and be particular that he maintains the cor- 
rect position by laying head evenly between fore- 
legs flat down. It does not matter yet about his hind 
parts, whether turned to side or not; this fault cor- 
rects itself in time. 

"UP HERE!" 

When perfect steadiness at "charge" is attained, 
proceed to call "up" at a distance of about six feet 
in front of dog by order, "Up here ! " The cord is 
in left hand, and if the dog does not respond quickly, 
draw it in by jerks till close up in front; then order 
"Sit down!" By degrees increase distance to ten 
feet in front, then also to either side and finally 
to direct rear. In the coming into rear be particular 
that he does not merely raise up and come in on a 
circle; insist upon a direct wheel-about by drawing 
up cord quickly, hauling in straight to you. 

"CHARGE!" "FETCH!" 

The dog is at "charge." Hold cob flat on right 
hand, as heretofore ; stoop and slowly shove extended 
fingers under his jaw; give order, "Fetch!" Most 
likely he will open his mouth and take the cob, 
whereupon order, "Up!" "Fetch here!" and in- 



42 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

stantly move off, as before. But if he merely en- 
deavors to come "up," without making an attempt 
to grasp the cob, then compel him to take hold in 
former manner by the grip, with left hand over jaw, 
or by using cord, as before, in lesson in merely 
"fetch." This lesson will not be difficult, if only 
slowly proceeded with ; and when the dog takes 
cob promptly from flat hand, gradually withdraw 
to about two inches from dog's mouth, but do not 
expect him to pick it up from floor yet — merely 
extend the distance by degrees to about six inches, 
which necessitates the dog to draw up to grasp. 
With every grasp, order "Up here! " and start off; 
this has the effect to make him anxious to follow, 
and finding that he cannot do so without first taking 
object, does it quickly. 

Now take a new cob; break off small end of 
same, leaving a length of about six inches. Into 
four opposite sides of cob drive eight eight-penny 
nails one inch from each end, in such a manner 
as to form a perfect cross at each end, the nails on 
either side to line perfectly; in this manner a saw- 
buck-like contrivance is produced which, when laid 
down, will stand on heads of nails as feet or sup- 
ports, and the cob is held up about one inch from 
the floor. In driving the nails, see that they are 
equally imbedded and the points do not protrude on 
the other side, which leaves the head part of the 
nails projecting about one aud-a-half inches. 

Bring the dog to "charge;" instead of laying 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 43 

cob on flat hand, as before, now lay the "buck" on 
the floor, but place the hand in a deceiving manner 
in front of it, as if holding same, and order "Fetch!" 
The dog comes up to take and may push against 
the "buck" so as to roll it forward; prevent this by 
holding in place until he has taken hold, and at 
once order "Up! " as before. By degrees withdraw 
the right hand more and more, to a distance of one 
foot. From this on the stooping position of the 
trainer can be avoided; keep directing with the 
hand towards the object, associating the order with 
the motion of the hand, which, in time, will be the 
only command necessary. 

The nails in the ends will prevent the dog from 
taking any other than a direct center hold, which is 
of importance in future lessons, and ultimately in 
practical field work. Do not hurry over this lesson 
before it is well executed, and insist upon the dog 
stretching out to object in fetching, and never allow 
him to first rise up; if that is permitted, serious 
complications will arise, therefore strictly adhere 
to the method as mentioned above. 

It will now happen when the " buck" is dropped 
to the floor, and the dog is ordered to "charge," he 
will, if close to object, merely bend down, grasp it 
and raise up to proceed. In this case show the dog 
your full satisfaction, for now he accomplishes what 
we endeavored to arrive at with the lesson of 
"charge" at this stage. At first be content if he 
willingly advances a few steps to pick up, then 



44 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

gradually increase the distance to about ten feet, 
and always accompany him to the object, waving 
the right hand in that direction. Ultimately the 
signal by hand alone will be all the order necessary, 
while the trainer remains at the spot from whence 
the object was thrown, but always insist upon the 
dog coming in on a direct line to you, sitting down 
and holding till ordered "Let go!" Never fail to 
flatter and praise your pupil whenever he performs 
any part of his lesson to your full satisfaction, with 
kindly spoken words and a little caressing. On the 
other hand be cautious with words and gestures of 
disapprobation. Never fail to correct any fault of 
his, especially disobedience to orders and slovenly 
execution, on the moment, and have him repeat 
every exercise in their regular order until he com- 
prehends and executes the same perfectly, but not 
beyond the limits of attention and physical strength. 
Yary the exercises as often as you deem it prudent 
by repeating former orders. Adhere strictly to the 
rule, never to take up a new lesson until he is per- 
fect in all the foregoing exercises. Do not exjDect 
too much proficiency, alertness or style in execution 
at this stage of the dog's education, so long as he 
fully understands every order given and obeys the 
same fairly well. As we progress with this method 
his educational faculties will strengthen, and 
practice will make him master of his task, and the 
trainer will then consider himself richly repaid for 
the time and patience devoted to his dog. 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 45 

The dog now takes the "buck" constructed of 
cob and nails quite willingly, and to prevent any 
play or mouthing the same while working with it, it 
becomes necessary to change its construction by 
merely using a stick of hard wood, (a piece of hard 
wood broom handle is quite suitable) instead of the 
cob, the nails being driven in just the same as in 
the former. He will not imbed his teeth in this, 
and unconsciously become soft mouthed, taking hold 
hardly sufficient to firmly hold and carry the object- 

THE PAD. 

Now we add a new contrivance, which is quite 
readily constructed in the following manner : Pro- 
cure a bunch of clean rags, roll up smoothly to 
about five inches long by two inches in diameter; 
wrap with common twine to hold in place, and 
cover the entire pad with strong common cloth, such 
as ducking; sew up tight at all ends, endeavor to 
form into egg shape; make the pad thinner at the 
ends and fuller in the center, somewhat to resemble 
the shape of a quail. Make the pad quite smooth, 
not allowing any parts of rags, etc., to dangle about 
it, then it is ready for use. 

The dog is brought to "sit down." Stand 
directly in front of him, produce the pad and offer 
the same with usual command, "Fetch!" If he 
takes it, very well; then by degrees go through 
former tactics, including the different distances, but 
do not drop the pad to the floor; however, if he 



46 THE AMATEUR TRAINER 

hesitates to take hold, use the left hand grip to open 
his mouth, or the cord, if you have taken this course 
heretofore; then have it carried and delivered to 
you in hand. The dog will not be likely to drop 
it, because he has fully learned that when once 
taken hold he must, under no circumstances, relieve 
himself of the object without the order, "Let go! " 
and place it into your right hand while in the 
sitting position. The pad is first thrown out a short 
distance for him to fetch, and eventually to ten or 
fifteen feet, always waving the right hand in the 
direction, as described before. Should the dog 
refuse to pick up the pad promptly, then apply the 
former methods, by first holding flat on hand, while 
the back of hand rests on the floor, withdrawing it 
by degrees. As a rule, the change to the pad will 
be effected without difficulty. From this on alter- 
nate in the use of the "buck" and the "pad" during 
the exercises. 

THE WHISTLE. 

Up to this stage all orders were vocal. In 
practical field work the whistle is indispensable. 
For the present a plain note produced by the mouth 
is quite sufficient, and the dog learns its meaning 
quickly. 

The dog is at "charge;" advance six or eight 
steps, face him, order "Up here!" and quickly 
sound the whistling note. After ten repetitions 
give the whistle only, and most likely he will 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 47 

respond. If, however, he should hesitate, bring 
the cord into use instantly in connection with 
whistle, after giving the order. This is one of the 
easiest lessons to teach, and should now be alter- 
nated with the vocal command, but never used 
conjointly. 

''DEAD BIRD!" "FETCH!" 

The dog is at "charge." The right hand holds 
the pad close up to the dog. Dangle it in different 
directions before him, to make him quite anxious to 
take hold, after which pretend to throw the same 
to a distance from side of lying dog; at the same 
time rise, give order "Up!" followed by "Dead 
bird!" Move quickly with the dog in different 
directions, as to help him hunt the lost bird, which 
is, meanwhile, held in right hand, out of the dog's 
sight. After numerous repetitions of the order, 
drop the pad behind you, and come up towards it 
from an opposite direction. Soon the dog sees the 
object of search, and will quickly proceed to fetch. 
At this moment the order "Fetch! " is given. Ee- 
peat the exercise for a while, until the dog has 
understood the meaning of the new order. He will 
be pleased to search, and impatiently await the 
order " Up ! " " Dead bird ! " If the dog's enthusiasm 
is aroused, and he becomes joyful, do not check his 
ardor, but encourage, to make him quite firm in this 
lesson, as it is of great importance in actual work 
afield. 



48 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

"UP HERE!" AT THE KENNEL. 

So far the dog has been returned to his kennel 
after each lesson, petted, etc., his plain collar ex- 
changed with the force collar, and left without 
further molestation, only coming up to him at times 
during the day to give food and water, leaving him 
to imagine that when at the kennel all obedience to 
orders ceases. 

After returning in the usual manner to the ken- 
nel, let him "sit down," and pretend to buckle on 
the plain collar behind the force collar, but drop it, 
and let the dog retreat into the kennel. Eemain, 
and after a few moments take up the cord from the 
ground with both hands and give the order, "Up 
here!" Most likely he will not obey, and remain 
motionless, whereupon proceed to haul him out, 
being careful his head does not get crossed at the 
entrance, whereby injury might result. Fetch him 
up squarely before you, order "Sit down ! " and pat 
him, even if ever so badly performed. After a few 
moments pretend to leave him, and again he will 
instantly return into his kennel. Come up and 
repeat the former procedure. Only a few repeti- 
tions will be required, for he will readily under- 
stand that he still has the force collar on his neck, 
and, to save himself pain, comes out promptly when 
ordered to do so. 

By being constantly tied up most dogs become 
restless, and endeavor to break loose by tugging 
and jerking on the chain, often dragging the kennel 



THE AMATEUR TRAINED. 49 

all over the yard, etc. This is easily overcome by 
leaving on and attaching the chain to force collar ; he 
will break himself in a very short time of the bad 
habit. 

THE YARD. 

If the foregoing lessons have been given in a 
room, considerable time has been saved, owing to a 
perfect non-disturbance and detraction of the dog's 
attention during the exercises, but it now becomes 
necessary to go through the usual routine in the 
open yard — not, however, the field. It will be 
noticed, while all went satisfactorily in the room, at 
first there will be some difficulty in holding the at- 
tention of the dog in the yard. Every movement 
of different objects, such as persons passing by, fowls 
being in the neighborhood, the house-cat eyeing 
him, dogs barking close by, etc., etc., will attract 
the pupil's attention to an astonishing degree, so 
that quite a little time will be consumed teaching 
him that, no matter what the surroundings may be, 
he has but one duty, and that is to give his full at- 
tention to the movements of his master, and 
promptly obey orders under all circumstances. 

If the yard is roomy and contains shrubs, trees, 
grass, etc., etc., it will be all the better for the 
practical instruction to seek "dead bird." After 
having the pad fetched from various distances and 
directions, (the cord now drags upon the ground 
till a reprimand may necessitate the taking same in 



50 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

hand), conceal the same at various places and pre- 
tend to search with the dog diligently for a time, 
directing him here and there with right hand, call- 
ing "Dead bird!" often, and finally come up to 
where the pad was dropped, and if possible induce 
him to nose it out and "fetch." It is important 
that the dog becomes accustomed to the wave of 
the hand in the direction he is expected to seek. If 
some attention is given this matter, it will soon 
teach the dog to follow direction of hand quite 
promptly, and eventually he will seek and find by 
scent. Continually using the pad, it will naturally 
become soiled to such an extent as to be obnoxious 
to the dog; no notice should be taken of that. The 
dog so far has been held to fetch to order by force 
only; he has long passed the playful stage of 
voluntarily carrying objects; it is now purely com- 
pulsory, and such it should be — the dog to have no 
will in the matter; the will of his master only is to 
govern his actions. 

THE REAL BIRD. 

It is now time a real bird should be provided. 
If a quail can be obtained at the time, very well ; 
but it may not be possible, and in that case a tame 
pigeon (never use a wild dove, because its feathers 
slip very easily, hence has a bad effect on the dog), 
may take its place. The dog has no disliking for 
the house-pigeon, and it is therefore adapted for the 
purpose designed. It will be best to procure the 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 51 

pigeon alive and kill it by suffocation, so as not to 
soil it with blood. Place the dead bird in a straight 
position, wings smoothly up to body. Let it cool 
and get rigid before using for retrieving. 

Bring the dog to "sit down;" joroduce the bird 
with right hand; hold close up to the dog's mouth, 
and order, -'Fetch!" Most likely he will refuse, 
whereupon use left hand grip to open his mouth; 
place bird evenly therein, and call, "Hold it!" 
After a few moments order, "Let go!" Eepeat 
until he readily takes hold, but be quite particular 
he does not merely take hold of head, tip of wing, 
or a small wift of feathers; insist upon taking a 
square center body-hold, then let him carry same to 
order, "Fetch here ! " The change from pad to bird 
will not be difficult. Hold out the bird to about 
three feet before the dog, for him to come up and 
take from the hand ; soon this goes fairly well ; then 
lay bird on the ground (back downj and order, 
"Fetch!" Should he fail to obey promptly, then 
use former methods in enforcing obedience. Extend 
distance by degrees, and finally conceal the bird, as 
in former lessons on the pad. Encourage to make 
the dog ambitious in the seeking of the bird, but 
not to such an extent as to make him playful, and 
do not let him mouth or toss the same about; sharply 
reprimand all such proceedings. Use the same 
bird for the seeking lesson during the next few 
days, even in hot weather, when decomposition 
may set in and become fully as offensive to yourself 



52 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

as to the dog; by so doing you still further impress 
obedience, even under adverse circumstances. Pro- 
cure a variety of game birds to be practiced with, 
alternating and connecting former exercises. Con- 
tinual practice in seeking, finding and fetching 
"dead bird" on all available game birds, will be of 
great benefit to the dog's future usefulness, and will 
save time in practice afield later on. 

THE GUN. 

At this juncture the gun should be introduced. 
This must be clone with the greatest care and 
deliberation. If the dog is courageous and has not 
been frightened through undue noises, etc., it will 
require but little time to accustom him to the report 
of the gun; but if of timid or nervous disposition, 
it may be of slow progress. A muzzle-loader is best 
for this purpose, but in this age of improvements in 
fire-arms, not always handily in reach of the trainer. 
If a muzzle-loading gun can be procured, proceed 
as follows: 

Advance within ten steps of kennel (to which 
the dog is chained), handle the gun promiscuously in 
plain sight of the dog ; raise and lower the hammers ; 
also snap them, if tubes of gun are not to be con- 
sidered much; finally begin snapping caps. It will 
now be seen whether the dog evinces any fear; if 
so, remain at same dibtance and continue the snap- 
ping of caps. Now set aside the gun, bring out the 
accustomed vessel containing the dog's food, step 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 53 

up and give a small portion of same in the usual 
manner, withholding balance to follow later. Re- 
turn with gun to stated distance, and again proceed 
to snapping of caps. After moving up and down in 
sight of dog for a few minutes, again snap a few 
caps ,* set aside gun and hand dog a few morsels. 
.Repeat this procedure until supply of dog's food is 
exhausted. Now go up to clog, pat and speak 
kindly, slip on the force collar, and go through 
former exercises without producing the gun. The 
same maneuver must be repeated now daily, until 
all fear has subsided, gradually having come up to 
the dog at kennel with gun and snapped caps while 
he '* sits down." During these exercises exhibit 
great kindness to dog, fully establishing his confi- 
dence to such an extent as to make him evince 
anxiety the moment he sees the gun, having learned 
that soon after each "gun exhibition" he is favored 
with the dearest to him in life at this time — his food. 
The dog now does not mind the snapping of 
caps. Insert quite a small charge of powder, step 
up to first distance after having attracted the dog's 
attention, and discharge the gun. If this does not 
startle him, remain and gradually" increase the loads, 
stepping up and handing dog a morsel after each 
shot, till finally you stand quite up to him at kennel 
while gun is discharged. But should the light dis- 
charge have frightened him, then the distance from 
him was too short and must be increased till even- 
tually fear has subsided. The extent of this lesson 



54 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

must and can easily be judged by any trainer. But 
it is supposed no muzzle-loading gun is handy, so 
that the usual breech-loader must come into use, 
and the snapping of caps not applicable. Then it 
becomes necessary to load a number of "squibs;" 
step off to some thirty or forty yards, attract the 
dog's attention, discharge gun in an opposite direc- 
tion from him so the emitting fire and smoke do not 
scare him, and be careful to observe the impression 
it makes upon the dog. Continue the shooting, 
alternating with giving morsels as before, till all 
fear shall have subsided. Perhaps the owner of a 
puppy, which he is training, resides in a thickly 
populated part of a city, where shooting, if ever so 
light, is entirely out of the question. In this case 
let the dog fast for one day — only giving him plenty 
of fresh water — then take gun, supply of feed, and 
dog at heel, to some suitable locality; tie up the dog 
securely, attach to the force collar (this will prevent 
any jerking, probably breaking loose, running home, 
etc.) and begin in a similar manner as above stated. 
Do not connect this particular lesson with any other 
till the dog's fear of the gun has completely van- 
ished. 

DROP TO SHOT AND WING — "FETCH!" 

Provide a dead bird, which keep concealed in 
pocket. Come up to dog in cheerful manner, slip 
on force collar, order " Come on ! " letting cord drag ; 
lay gun on left arm in usual way of carrying same, 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 55 

and proceed around the yard, stopping from time to 
time; order to "Sit down!" and insist upon him 
remaining at the spot. Walk all around him, com- 
ing up again, etc. Eventually step off to side about 
ten steps distance from the dog, take bird in right 
hand unnoticed by dog, toss the bird up and ahead 
of him in a manner so he must see the flight and 
fall of same, bring gun to shoulder and fire; at the 
same time order "Charge!" If he fails to drop 
promptly, it will be quite necessary to quickly step 
up and enforce the order. Let him remain down a 
few moments, then step up close to dog ; order " Up !" 
"Dead Bird!" and at once proceed in direction 
where bird fell, waving with right hand to bird, and 
repeat the order till you notice he sees bird and is 
about to pick it up ; then give order, " Fetch here ! " 
Let the dog carry bird a short distance, then take 
it from him in a proper manner and praise highly, 
even if all went badly, for it is necessary to encour- 
age the dog in every possible way at this stage. It 
will be understood, as the dog progresses in the 
dropping, seeking and fetching, so that all is evi- 
dently understood by the pupil, the repetition of 
orders must be reduced more and more, till eventu- 
ally the order for "up" and "fetch " will only be the 
motion of the hand. The trainer can fully see the 
necessity of repeating an order at particular mo- 
ments to more firmly establish promptness, and 
must also gradually confine the orders to the greatest 
simplicity. Eepeat the throwing of bird from side, 



56 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

gradually getting to rear of sitting dog, and from 
this position teach the dropping to wing. 

The dog faces from you, throw bird but a few 
feet over his head so he will notice same, and sim- 
ultaneously imitate the whirr of a quail with your 
fluttering tongue by uttering a long extended 
whir-r-r! The dog will learn to associate the whirr 
at flight of bird, etc., with order to drop with com- 
paratively few repetitions; but this lesson should 
be gone over quite often and from different positions, 
it saving a great deal of time later, when practicing 
on live birds afield. When the above goes fairly 
well, it becomes necessary to connect the report of 
gun, dropping, seeking and fetching, in such a way 
that the dog shall not see in what direction the bird 
is tossed, etc. At a moment when the dog's atten- 
tion is directed elsewhere, discharge the gun. 
Always remain standing at place of firing, and insist 
upon the dog dropping instantly at report. Eemain 
quiet a few moments, then order "Up!" "Dead 
bird! " waving here and there, hunting with dog in 
direction as to him indicated. In the meantime 
drop the bird behind you into some grass or shrubs, 
whereupon again direct dog in that direction, giving 
him the benefit of the wind in nosing out the bird, 
so he will not only potter around but learn to seek 
by scent. This is important, and the trainer's judg- 
ment must dictate to him the time to which the 
lesson shall be prolonged. 



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THE AMA1EUR TRAINER. 57 



PART II. 



FIELD TRAINING. 

After having gone through the first part care- 
fully, not omitting any separate lesson, no matter 
how superfluous or palpable the same may have 
appeared, the dog is now ready to be taken afield — 
not, however, to be shot over in a true sense of the 
word, but to be introduced to real work, during 
which all former lessons are to be applied to the 
dog in a practical way. It is true, that after ab- 
solving the technicalities of the first part of this 
work, a dog should be capable of satisfactory work 
in a measure, but if work in a higher degree is de- 
sired, the instructions must be prolonged. The dog 
with the training of the first part is capable of 
making a good showing afield if handled by his 
trainer, who fully knows the extent to which the 
different acts may be exhibited to advantage. But 
if the dog will be placed under direction of another 
person, who is not a handler of experience, and is 
also not acquainted with the dog's disposition, capa- 
bilities and peculiarities, etc., such second party will 
find himself at sea. The dog becomes bewildered, 
and is unfit even for the work he is well qualified 
to perform while under guidance of his trainer. 



58 THE AMATEUR TRAINER 

The main object of* bis training, practical work to 
the o-un afield, which could not have been taught at 
home owing to lack of room in the yard, etc., and 
actual experience on birds in their natural haunts, 
is still lacking to perfect his training. No great 
difficulties will be experienced now to fit the dog 
for practical work, and only exercise and time will 
be required to give him the necessary experience 
afield to make him a useful dog. The dog at this 
stage has not by far reached the limit of his capa- 
bilities in training and finishing, and the more 
exacting trainer will not be satisfied with what has 
been accomplished, but continue his labors until the 
highest point of perfection of a thoroughly trained 
and finished dog may be arrived at. 

The course now to be pursued may be modified 
in particular localities where special game abounds, 
and is chiefly to be worked on ; but in general thor- 
ough instruction should be given in the full course 
described hereinafter. 

The sportsman will now properly take the place 
of the former trainer, the pupil rapidly change to a 
helpmate and companion of the former, and labor 
and vexations be supplanted by enjoyment and well 
earned pride. 

The manner of reaching the field, where actual 
work with dog and gun is to begin, must be en- 
tirety left to the individual sportsman, of course, 
but try and get there with as little fatigue as possi- 
ble to yourself as well as the dog. 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 59 

QUARTERING. 

Contrary to traditions, quartering, or systematic 
working out the field by the dog, is not now con- 
sidered one of the necessary accomplishments, and 
finds but little favor among professional dog men. 
If a young dog is held strictly to quartering before 
the necessary dash and delight in hunting has been 
aroused, he will become a mere machine dog, work- 
ing mechanically, devoid of vim and judgment in 
the finding of game. Of course the dog must be 
made controllable in the field as well as the yard, 
which is done in a similar manner as in yard train- 
ing; but unless a dog has high spirit, with abun- 
dance of vim and courage, his hunting propensities 
should not be curtailed in this way, at least during 
the first season. The manner of teaching quarter- 
ing is simple in itself, but it will require some time 
in getting a dog proficient in this particular, and at 
any rate too much formality should be avoided at 
all times. 

"HIE ON !" 

The dog very well recollects from his earlier 
unrestrained rambles that pleasure is now in store, 
and will be quite anxious to bound off at the first 
opportunity. Wild hunting and chasing are no 
longer permitted; the dog is now held to work in a 
business-like manner in hunting and obeying orders 
in general, as circumstances may necessitate. 

Up to this time the force collar has continually 



60 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

been upon the dog while under orders, and even at 
this stage he is not supposed to be perfectly at 
liberty. Slip the collar, to which a cord of about 
fifteen feet is attached, over dog's head, allow cord 
to drag) proceed up wind and cast the dog off, with 
order, "Hie on!" motioning with right band in 
that direction. The dog makes a cast straight out; 
after going a short distance turn in an oblique 
direction, allowing dog to reach out a suitable dis- 
tance on his course. At this point sound a plain 
single note with the whistle, merely to attract his 
attention, and the moment he looks back direct by 
motion of hand to course you are holding. The 
dog seeing himself off to one side, will wheel and 
cut across to intercept you at right angle. The 
moment he comes up even, turn still more to same 
side with wave of hand, leading dog to believe you 
will turn still further, but as soon as he has passed 
out a short distance, turn abruptly in opposite 
oblique direction, and again attract dog's attention 
at above distance, signaling as before. This 
maneuver is continued, and teaches the dog to keep 
a proper distance, to which he should extend his 
flings. ~By experience he will learn to readily 
respond to the signal by hand. It will not be well 
to give the dog too free a range as yet — a wider 
range will be attained without difficulty later on. 
At this time it is necessary to impress the idea 
firmly that he is still under control. The aim is to 
teach the dog systematic quartering eventually 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 



61 



without orders, merely a change in course by 
handler, to be synonymous with command, and the 
sportsman to be the center of action. Be particular 
so the dog does not cut through behind you upon 
returning, or to allow him to cast out in a direction, 
and again to come directly in on a bee-line. Should 
this fault occur, it will be best to bring the dog to 
" charge" before coming in ; thereupon walk up close, 
scold, order u Up ! " and " Hie on ! " in another direc- 
tion, but refrain from calling to heel till onward 
course is well maintained. After giving quite a 
run as above directed, call in the dog by a prolonged 
sound of whistle; order "Sit down!" and praise 
highly. The dragging cord does not inconvenience 
the dog to any great extent, and only reminds him 
of his necessary attention and obedience. Do not 
confuse the clog by giving other orders during this 
lesson, and should he be slow to start out at com- 
mand, then encouragement will be necessary in a 
kind way; force must not be applied here. 

FINDING AND POINTING "STEADY! " 

Direct the course to a likely place of game, 
preferably quails. The dog drags cord as before and 
is cast off in the desired direction. As he strikes 
scent, his movements will clearly demonstrate this, 
and the handler at once comes up near the drawing- 
dog. Attempt no guidance in particular, allowing 
dog to find in his own way, and upon coming to a 
stand or point, quietly pass to rear of him, step upon 



62 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

the cord and order "Steady!" Keep the dog on 
point a few minutes if possible, then should he 
spring forward and flush, keep foot firmly down on 
cord so he will get a snubbing, and the moment he 
has reached end of cord, give command "Charge! " 
in a firm tone; do not shoot at flying birds. It will 
be well to watch the flight and ultimate settling of 
birds for further work, then order, "Up here! 
"Sit down! " and praise to encourage the preceding 
act. Order "Hie on!" in desired direction to re- 
sume the hunt. If, however, the dog has failed to 
point, and willfully flushed as may have been done 
in early puppyhood, then it will be necessary to 
prevent him from giving chase. Reach for cord, 
which is now taken firml}^ in hand, and the dog- 
held to steadiness by jerks, giving order "Steady! " 
at each jerk, impressing the meaning of command, 
and if found too eager, bring him to "charge" 
several times for a few moments before again order- 
ing "Up! " then "Hie on ! " After a few repetitions 
the dog will omit rushing in. 

DEAD BIRD— "FETCH." 

Upon the following point a shot may be taken at 
bird; this should be a clean kill. After keeping the 
dog at "charge" fully one minute, during which 
time the gun is reloaded without moving from the 
spot, order "Up!" "Dead bird!" signaling with 
hand in direction bird fell, and let him seek to a 
find, and fetch. Instantly, as the dog takes up the 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 63 

bird, wheel about and sound the whistle to come in. 
The dog, seeing his handler going off in an opposite 
direction, will naturally hasten to overtake him by 
coming in on a straight turn. Just as he comes up 
within a, few feet, quickly wheel, facing dog, and 
order "Sit down ! " Let him hold the bird a few 
moments, meanwhile stroke and show approval, then 
take from him by "Let go!" It is important the 
dog should come directly in upon grasping bird, 
which is best effected in above manner, and should 
be continued till dog needs no calling, takes up bird, 
and instantly wheels to come in to deliver the bird 
into your hand. 

3IOUTHIXG OR MUTILATING — "TAKE 
CAKE ! " 

It will not occur that the dog will mutilate the 
bird in any way if proper care has been taken during 
the lessons in the first part in this particular line; 
the dog never having been allowed any frolic during 
these exercises. If, however, the dog should show 
the slightest inclination to squeeze a bird, then 
sharply call to him, "Take care!"; '.'Sit down!"; 
walk up and give usual "grip" with left hand to 
open dog's mouth; repeat "Take care!" Let dog 
sit quiet, hold bird on flat hand, and again order 
" Fetch ! " and "Let go ! " twenty times in succession. 
watching closely each time he grasps; so if seen he 
attempts any squeeze, the grip must be applied 
sharply. Use the same bird until considerably 



64 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

mussed without proceeding further. It may follow 
that the dog will refuse to take up the next bird; 
in that case the cord and collar again come into use 
in former manner to force obedience. Care must be 
taken in this particular, and the fault corrected in- 
stantly; if passed unchecked, the same will be 
aggravated continually, culminating in chewing, 
and finally swallowing the bird entire. In the lat- 
ter case the dog must be broken from retrieving at 
all, and begun with anew in manner as before. 

THE WINGED BIRD. 

A very common fault with amateurs is the greed 
for game, losing sight of the object most important 
— the dog's training. If a bird has been winged 
only (every sportsman can judge this by the man- 
ner in which the bird falls) it will be best not to 
attempt to have it retrieved at once, the principal 
aim now being to make the dog quite steady at 
point, wing and shot. A winged bird usually 
proves a runner, and if the dog is ordered to 
" fetch" he will take up the trail and follow till the 
game is run down, exciting the dog to a final spring 
and catch. A dog more advanced should do this 
very thing, but the young dog becomes wild, dis- 
obedient, and deems it his duty to henceforth catch 
every running bird he conies across. Therefore omit 
the retrieving directly, and proceed thus: The bird 
falls winged, dog drops to shot, where he is to re- 
main quiet a few moments, is then ordered "Up 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 65 

here!" "Sit down!"; flatter him by " Good boy ! " 
etc.; thereupon order on, encircling spot where bird 
fell at some distance, to enable dog to catch scent 
of bird, and if pointed, order "Steady!" and en- 
deavor to spy out the hiding bird, and catch by hand, 
or if it runs, shoot the same dead ; then allow to 
"fetch." A dog soon learns to discern a dead from 
crippled bird by scent, and even if ordered to 
"fetch," will point the latter, which may then be 
ordered fetched regularly after dog has been steadied 
to runner. Fetching crippled birds may also lead 
the dog to mutilating, which, as soon as noticed, 
must be checked at once, as directed under fore- 
going heading. The handler must also observe a 
quiet demeanor in this as well as in all other lessons; 
give orders in usual tone, and in every way set a 
good example to his pupil by avoiding haste and all 
excitement. 

THE RABBIT. 

The rabbit being part of the natural prey of the 
dog, excites the latter's attention equally as much 
as birds, and is quite fascinating and inviting for a 
chase, which is the source of much annoyance to 
the sportsman afield. In localities where game 
birds are scarce and rabbits are hunted and shot 
over bird dogs to point, the same tactics may be 
adhered to in teaching steadiness on rabbits, as is 
desired under heading of "Finding" and "Point- 
ing." As a rule, "Bunny" is to be shunned by the 



66 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

dog under consideration, and birds hunted only. 
By observing the actions and attitudes of the dog, 
the sportsman soon learns to discern the nature of 
game hunted, scented and pointed by the dog. If 
it is surmised the dog is drawing onto a rabbit, call 
him off and give a scolding, impressing same by a 
.sharp jerk on cord, and if he again returns to same 
scent, then order, "Charge!" until cord is securel} T 
tied to a staple object; order "Up!" and bring to 
"sit down." Now encircle the supposed lair of the 
rabbit and endeavor to jump it in the direction of 
the sitting dog. As the rabbit bounds by the dog, 
the latter will most likely break for a catch — he 
catches che collar effectively in the neck, and the 
moment he receives the shock order, "Charge!" in 
a firm, harsh tone. Never shoot the fleeing rabbit. 
But few repetitions will be required to effectually 
make the dog "rabbit proof." 

REVERSE THE COLLAR. 

The dog lias now become stead}', and the ap- 
plication of punishment b} T the use of collar made 
unnecessary, but he should still be left in the belief 
that the same remains. Reverse the collar and 
shorten cord to about six inches, which short end 
may dangle about as a reminder. If at any time 
correction shall become necessary, it will be an 
easy matter to again turn the barbs inwardly and 
attach longer cord. The mere presence of the collar 
will tend to greatest steadiness and obedience of 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 67 

the dog-. The dog is usually taken into the wagon 
in going to and from the hunting ground; but may 
also be afoot and attacked by all curs bounding out 
from every farm-house, giving him a hard time 
fighting his way through; in that case it becomes 
the sportsman's duty to come to the rescue of his 
dog. Usually a dog directs his assault to the other's 
neck, and if the collar has been reversed, no great 
harm need be apprehended, because the outward 
extending barbs serve as an armor to the bearer, 
and the snapping cur will inflict on himself a severe 
punishment by closing down upon them. The same 
precaution may be taken in a city while the dog is 
being allowed to accompany his master through the 
streets, where the dog is subject to constant assaults 
by loitering brutes. 

RECALLING FROM POIXT. 

As a rule, the dog is not bo be balked in any way 
that would tend to confuse him, or to counteract 
speed in fulfilling any order promptly. It may 
occur at times that the dog finds and comes to point 
in a place such as the proximity to a house, on for- 
bidden ground, an undesirable place to commence 
shooting, or that the particular birds found are to 
be saved for a future time, etc., where no shooting 
is to be indulged in, hence the dog must be called 
off. 

If the foregoing instructions have been followed, 
this can be effected without difficult}'; but should 



68 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

the dog persist on point, and rather than leave the 
birds, rush in to flush, then the cord and collar 
again comes into use to enforce obedience. The dog 
stands on point and refuses to leave the birds; walk 
up, adjust collar, step back to end of cord and 
sharply order, "Up here!" simultaneously giving 
quite a severe jerk to completely turn dog around, 
and continue to haul him in quite unceremoniously. 
After bringing to '-sit down," speak to him quietly 
to impress upon his mind that harm to himself 
ceases the moment he comes in when called. 

A SHOOTING COMPANION. 

At this stage it is well to invite a companion to 
participate in the shoot. The friend may pat the 
dog and speak to him kindly, yet should not carry 
this beyond a certain limit. The dog is to receive 
orders from his master only, while the other shooter 
is to remain entirely passive so' far as the dog is 
concerned ; also avoid a constant discourse by which 
the attention of the dog may be attracted from his 
work, etc. When a point has been established, the 
birds flushed by either of the shooters, one or more 
birds downed, then the assistant is to remain stand- 
ing till dog has brought in the birds in rotation to 
his master. If the dog should come up to the friend 
to deliver a bird, then it becomes his duty to shy 
him off by acting crossly, flourishing a stick, pick- 
ing up a clod and throwing same at him, etc. Mean- 
while the handler calls the dog in usual manner, 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 69 

and after coming up praise him, fully showing the 
dog that his master is his real friend only, and no 
matter who ma} 7 be near, to him only he must give 
his entire attention. 

JEALOUSY. 

If the shooting companion has a dog, which, if so, 
he certainly takes along on the shoot, it will be 
quite necessary for the two shooters to work the 
same ground at some little distance apart from each 
other, allowing the two dogs to beat the field 
between them independently, as if each shooter 
with his dog would be out alone. It will be found 
that some dogs are quite jealous, rushing in to steal 
the other's points, and by being too eager, flush the 
birds, also probably giving chase, which latter is 
quickly taken up by the other dog, and confusion 
in general follows. When this fault is noticed, the 
check cord must be attached to each dog, and any 
interference in the other's work promptly repri- 
manded. While one dog is in the act of fetching a 
bird the other may crowd in and attempt to take 
the bird away, often culminating in a heated com- 
bat, which is to be preveuted in similar manner as 
above. If one of the dogs persists in hunting near 
the other shooter, he must be driven off by the lat- 
ter in any effectual way, i. e., each dog must hunt 
to his handler only. 



70 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

BRACE WORK. 

The amateur will do best to work one clog only 
at a time, even if he should possess a brace, alter- 
nating the dogs, keeping one at heel and fresh, 
while the other is ordered on, instead of working 
the two together till exhausted. Being that dogs 
differ widely in style, speed, dash, range, etc., it is 
not an easy matter to match a brace suitable for 
pleasing work. They should be mated as near alike 
in every particular as possible, must be perfectly 
controllable, and obedient to orders, independently 
to the slightest commands and signals; otherwise 
the one or the other will necessarily be balked in 
his work while down together. The retrieving 
must be done by one dog at a time, while the other 
is dropped or kept at heel. If either or both dogs 
evince the slightest unsteadiness, the collar and cord 
must be placed upon them, and any fault corrected 
instantly. 

BACKING. 

Backing is the proper term applied to the act of 
a second dog standing in the attitude of pointing to 
a dog at point, a habit .usually acquired by dogs 
frequently working together in the field, and must 
be attributed to the dog's intelligence. While the 
attitude at back is similar to that of a point, it is 
seldom so rigid, and when a dog sees his companion 
pointing he himself suspends the hunt, and intently 
watches his mate, so he may not frustrate the other's 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 71 

plans. To teach backing is an unnecessary under- 
taking. When one dog stands at point the other 
should be brought up to where he can clearly sec 
the pointing dog; he may come to back at first op- 
portunity, but may also take no notice of the 
other's doings, and rush in to steal the point. If, 
after a few chances to back, a dog has failed to slow 
up when coming in sight of the pointing dog, the 
collar and cord should be placed upon him to pre- 
vent him from rushing in ; by so doing he will soon 
learn that he is not permitted to interfere with the 
other's point, and eventually back regularly. Dogs 
that hunt together frequently learn each other's 
ways, so that little attention need be given to this 
matter, besides preventing any rushing in, backing 
being a natural consequence. 

THE HAAVK, ETC. 

The shooting of hawks, owls, and other birds of 
prey, is quite commendable, but the bird dog should 
never be ordered to retrieve any of them unless 
fully dead. Many young dogs are ruined, for a 
time at least, by the thoughtlessness of shooters in 
ordering to "fetch." Naturally the dog has an ab- 
horrence of all the different birds of prey, yet if in- 
experienced will rush in at order to retrieve a 
crippled hawk, and instantly as he attempts to 
grasp the same, receive such an awful clawing and 
pecking that he will yell aloud, and may for a time 
thereafter refuse to fetch any bird till again forced 



72 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

to do so in former manner. As a rule it is be«t to 
discourage the dog from paying attention to any 
bird or animal not desired to be hunted or shot. 

WIDE RANGE. 

Ranging from a quarter to a half mile to right 
and left of the shooter upon the wide prairies of the 
West, is none too far. A dog of good constitution, 
ample speed and stamina will acquire such a range 
without difficulty by giving the necessary con- 
tinued opportunities. Prairie chickens ( pinated 
grouse J are usually hunted during the autumn, in 
the cool hours of morning and evening, at which 
time the dog may exhibit fully his vim, nose, speed 
and staying qualities. If the dog is unrestrained by 
the handler, he will, on his own accord, reach out 
far to each side of wagon (the shooters usually 
drive in a vehicle across country), at full speed. So 
long as the dog can be seen distinctly, he should be 
permitted to continue his course and use his own 
judgment in hunting and finding birds. The dog 
so unhampered will soon prove to be a good ranger 
and finder. It must be understood that no dog ever 
lived who could not be run to a standstill, and if he 
is kept down so long as to completely tire him out, 
it will have a bad effect on his future speed and 
ardor; therefore a dog should not be worked until 
exhausted, for if persisted in, a slow dog with short 
range will be the result. 

The dog has been accustomed to signals by 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 73 

whistle and wave of hand, which are observed 
equally well at long range by him. A change of 
course by handler is quickly noticed by the dog, 
and he will suit his movements to that direction if 
attention is called by whistle and signal. 

RETRIEVING FROM WATER. 

A sportsman having but one dog should have 
this one trained to retrieve equally well from land 
and water. After a dog has been brought up sys- 
tematically by the foregoing methods, there will be 
no special difficulty in making him a first-class re- 
triever from water, so far as his natural capabilities 
will permit. If a sportsman relies entirely upon 
waterfowls for his shooting, then he should procure 
a dog especially adapted for work in water, such as 
the Water Spaniel, Chesapeake Bay Dog, etc. The 
dog under consideration is designed to be of service 
to his master in an all-around way. Owing to the 
heavy coat of the Setter, he fills the place of re- 
triever from water admirably, while the Pointer can 
be used in water only at a moderate temperature, if 
permanent injury is to be avoided. While not es- 
pecially difficult to perfect the dog at this stage in 
retrieving from water, it will be necessary to pro- 
ceed with proper care and forethought. The dog 
must not be expected to take to water business-like 
without special training, nor should he be picked up 
and thrown into deep water to fetch an object, if he 



74 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

has refused to go in voluntarily to order ; this would 
only create water shyness and complicate matters. 

Procure a wild duck of the smaller species, (for 
instance a Teal), which stow away in the shooting 
coat; take the dog to a clear pond, (a running 
stream is not suitable), with very gradual descend- 
ing shores, walk into the water with dog at heel not 
beyond a depth of less than knee deep; after 
having accustomed the dog to the water, return to 
within about ten feet of shore, produce the duck 
and have the dog grasp it in usual manner from the 
hand. After a few repetitions, toss the duck on the 
dry shore, and have it retrieved ; then toss again just 
to edge of water, so the duck may partly be wetted 
from where it is now to be fetched, and continue the 
maneuver in such a way that the dog is eventually 
compelled to pick up in water a few inches deep. 
Perhaps the dog will refuse to fetch the duck when 
fully in water, and in this case, obedience must be 
enforced by means of collar. Advance cautiously 
with this lesson, and avoid undue haste; by pro- 
ceeding gradually the difficulty will be overcome 
quickest. If the duck is nicely retrieved from the 
water up to six inches deep, (insist upon a square, 
central, body hold, and never tolerate taking hold 
of tip of wing, small wift of feathers, the neck or 
head, etc.), then gradually toss out a little farther, 
but not yet to a depth where it becomes necessary 
for the dog to swim. 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 75 

THE JACK SNIPE. 

In shooting jack snipe, the dog is usually kept 
at heel, and he only comes into service as a retriever, 
because but few dogs have a sufficiently keen nose 
to enable them to scent and point this species of 
game, or, perhaps, from lack of attraction to the 
dog, the snipe is not generally hunted by him. 

If, at this stage, snipes may be shot, the dog will 
have ample practice in retrieving transgressory 
from land to water. Give the dog abundance of 
work in retrieving from marsh and shallow water, 
until he becomes quite indifferent to the splashing 
and flopping of crippled birds in water, till he 
boldly grasps as if on land. 

THE DOG TO SWIM. 

A dog is expected to fetch from deep water, and 
must be taught to do so in a like manner as from 
shallow water. Generally the dog's ambition leads 
him forward to retrieve from deeper water without 
compulsion, but should he merely swim out to dead 
bird, fail to grasp the same, and return without it, 
then the collar must come into use. Wade out into 
water knee deep, have a cord about fifteen feet long 
attached to collar, toss a bird ahead into a little 
deeper water, and force prompt fetching by getting 
dog out with more or less severe jerks, and by 
giving order, "Fetch!" sharply with each jerk; 
then return to place of starting and again toss bird; 



76 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

but do not accompany him, giving order to "fetch," 
as before. If well doDe, praise highly, and follow 
up by gradually having bird retrieved from deeper 
water, till eventually the dog must swim to accom- 
plish this. 

DUCK SHOOTING FROM A BLIND. 

It will be necessary to build the blind sufficiently 
large to fully accommodate both dog and shooter, or 
better still, to build a special blind for the dog, which 
he is to enter and not to leave till ordered to do 
so. A dog soon learns to peep through the rushes 
and to watch the flight of birds, mark the fall of a 
kill and remember it for some time, should he not 
be called upon to bring it at once. If a duck has 
been winged only it becomes necessary to secure 
it promptly. Call the dog by name and order 
"Fetch ! " guiding him in his search for the game by 
wave of hand. Upon delivering bird (dog is not 
held to "sit down" in water) he is praised and 
ordered "Go lie down!" where he must remain 
without stretching forth his head, even if his master 
should temporarily leave his blind, unless the dog 
be called to follow. If a companion happens to be 
along who is to shoot from a blind near by, the one 
dog may attend to the retrieving, but shall receive 
orders by his master and fetch to him only. 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 77 

DUCK SHOOTING FROM A BOAT. 

Assign a place most suitable for the dog in the 
boat (usually at the bow) where he must lie down 
and remain till called upon for service. If the 
bottom of the boat becomes wet, which is hardly to 
be avoided, then gather a sufficient bunch of rushes, 
or provide any other suitable material to form a dry 
layer for the dog. The dog must be kept down 
during rowing, shooting or getting out to walk up 
birds b}^ the shooter, but if called must respond 
quickly. During cold weather the dog is apt to get 
chilled and may prefer to remain in the boat. In 
this case the collar will have the desired effect in 
enforcing any order given, no matter how disin- 
clined to obey the dog may be at the time. The 
judgment of any tender-hearted sportsman will be 
the best guidance as to extent of subjecting his 
faithful and valued servant to torture, always bearing 
in mind that a lost duck in an icy pond is not worth 
a probable lost dog caused by severe exposure. 
Greed for game is not consistent with good sport at 
any time, and far more inexcusable if the dog is 
compelled to suffer excessively thereby. 



78 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



THE SPOILED DOG. 

From numerous causes many dogs become spoiled 
to such an extent as to render them absolutely worth- 
less in the field subservient to the gun. The com- 
plaint is often heard that such and such a dog was 
at one time the best dog imaginable, but has been 
spoiled by some cause or another until now he is of 
no use whatever; if his faults could be overcome, 
this particular dog would be a world beater, etc. 

Considering that all faults are acquired through 
accidents or lack of proper handling, they can be 
corrected, just as a dog is trained to perform in a 
certain manner, and then can be broken from doing 
so. Any dog otherwise worth the trouble, can be 
freed of acquired faults, no matter how aggravated 
these may be, and restored to his former usefulness 
by beginning with him in the training as would be 
the case with a perfectly green dog, giving the parts 
wherein the faults lie special attention, to make 
quite perfect. Age need not be considered, but 
time and tact on part of the trainer, to properly and 
judiciously apply the methods of systematic train- 
ing, will be important factors in dealing with such 
cases. The matured dog has acquired a good deal 
of intelligence, and his reasoning powers are gener- 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 79 

ally well developed. These factors are of great mo- 
ment when he is again taken in hand by the trainer, 
who, if he does not blander himself by letting the 
headstrong dog have his own will, or to confirm 
him in his bad practices by improper application ot 
the rules laid down in this manual, will encounter 
no serious difficulties to conquer and reform the cul- 
prit. The eye of the trainer has great influence 
over the obstinate dog, and in many cases will be 
found more potent than even the force collar. Special 
cases require distinct treatment, so that no general 
rule can be established ; but the trainer will fairly 
well succeed in correcting faults if he refers to the 
instructions given under proper headlines for train- 
ing unbroken dogs, having direct reference to the 
special case in hand. 

BREAKING SHOT. 

At a certain stage in training it may be advisa- 
ble to allow a dog to rush in when a bird has been 
shot, to retrieve the same ; this should be encouraged 
with a timid or otherwise backward dog, to enhance 
his anxiety in getting game inio his possession ; but 
as soon as this is sufficiently accomplished, steadiness 
to shot must invariably be insisted upon. Breaking 
shot is not a bad sign in young dogs; it shows the 
instinctive desire to obtain birds. When breaking 
shot is permitted beyond a certain limit, it becomes 
detrimental to .the dog, is very annoying to the 
sportsman, and must be checked by all means. If 



80 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

a dog perfectly firm in this respect, is hunted in 
company vvith one that habitually breaks in, the 
steady dog will quickly acquire the fault from mere 
jealousy, and will be unsteady henceforth if not 
promptly corrected. When the occasion presents 
itself, that the breaking of this fault becomes nec- 
essary, it can be as easily done in a similar manner 
as the breaking in on birds to flush and chase. 

Put the collar on the dog, with a cord eight feet 
long attached and provided with small ring at end, 
and let him hunt. The dog stands to point; step up 
and snap a second section of cord twenty feet in 
length to first, fasten end of longer piece securely, 
giving a few feet of slack, flush the bird, shoot, and 
let the dog get a snubbing. At the moment the 
cord becomes taut, give the order "Charge!" in a 
strong tone. Insist on him remaining down a few 
minutes, during which time move about him in 
different directions, then return to spot from which 
shot was fired and call the dog, "Up here!" "Sit 
down ! " Now speak kindly to him, pat gently, and 
order on, resuming the hunt, and repeat the pro- 
cedure. 

Usually a few repetitions are sufficient to steady 
the dog if care is taken by the handler in working 
with the dog, by himself being steady to shot, not 
rushing forward to where bird fell, thereby exciting 
and alluring the dog into the habit of participating 
in a race for every bird brought down. 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 81 

WHIPSHYNESS. 

The whip not coming into use during the train- 
ing by this method, the dog has not become cowed 
nor whipshy, hence has no fear of this instrument 
unless attained through other means, such as fre- 
quently happen through thoughtless acts of the 
small (also large) boy by flinging sticks, etc., at the 
passing dog, or coaxing him up, then applying a 
whip, stick or other object severely to him for the 
fun there may be in hearing the pitiful yells, and 
see the scampering off, etc., etc., which alone is apt 
to render a dog whipshy, and prove annoying in 
the dog as a mere companion, as well as it is dis- 
turbing while at work afield. 

If the dog has acquired the fault, secure a second 
person as assistant, in whose hands place a heavy 
blacksnake whip; have him keep up a great racket, 
cracking and flourishing the same while approach- 
ing you from a distance of some fifty yards by de- 
grees. Have the collar on the dog and a cord of 
about twenty feet attached, which should be fastened 
to a stake in the ground low down. While the 
cracking of whip is going on and is gradually com- 
ing nearer (up to about ten yards at first), the dog 
must be spoken to friendly, and encouraged by a 
cool demeanor. Have him obey simple orders to 
detract his attention from the noise. No harshness 
on part of the trainer is admissible at this time. 
The dog finding' himself safe, soon ignores the noise 



82 THE AMATEUR TRAINER 

about him, and if a few tid-bits are offered him at 
the time, it still more strengthens the confidence in 
his master, who himself pays no attention whatever 
to the whipman. At a signal the whipman slowly 
advances nearer and nearer, continuing the turmoil 
till finally quite up with handler and dog, but tak- 
ing the greatest care to prevent even touching the 
dog with the whip, while he is being gently petted. 
By degrees the whipman slowly retreats, at times 
again advances, and eventually is lost out of sight 
behind a building, bush, etc. If after this procedure 
any fear remains at all, it will not be a bad thing, 
because it has been clearly demonstrated to the dog 
that, even if others would inflict pain, his master is 
friendly, and his protector in time of danger. 

WATERSHYNESS. 

During the hot season all dogs enjoy a bath and 
like to romp about in shallow water till thoroughly 
cooled off, while they mostly have an abhorrence of 
it in the cold season. A dog is easily made water- 
shy to such an extent as to cause considerable 
trouble in training him later to retrieve from water, 
by a single thoughtless act, such as throwing him 
into a deep, cold pool with steep banks, necessitat- 
ing considerable struggling to climb out of same, or 
the shoving overboard off a bridge or boat into a 
torrent stream with running ice, etc., etc. When 
the dog's training has advanced to the stage when re- 
trieving from water becomes necessary, and the dog 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 83 

shows the slightest dislike of water, it will be neces- 
sary to proceed with due caution and deliberation. 
While the water remains cold, no effort should be 
attempted, and not until moderately warm can there 
be any chance of success. At first associate the en- 
tering into water with pleasure to the dog only, 
which may be accomplished best by enlisting into 
service another dog. 

Select a shallow pond with but little or no aquatic 
growth in it. If, upon approaching the water, the 
other dog plunges in to enjoy a cooling, the timid 
one may do likewise ; however, if he remains sitting 
on the shore evincing fear, it will be necessary to 
resort to the collar and cord, and lead the dog all 
through the pond without apparently giving any 
attention to him. Soon he will find the water 
pleasant, and join the other dog in splashing about, 
which, if accomplished, will be sufficient to allay his 
former fear of the water. Now begin the giving of 
lessons as hereinbefore described under the proper 
heading. 

GUNSHYNESS. 

Gunshyness is more prevalent among dogs than 
is generally supposed. There are different forms of 
the fault, varying considerable in nature and harm- 
fulness of the afflicted dog's work to the gun. The 
old theory, that gunshyness is transmitted to the 
offspring, from generation to generation, has long 
been exploded as senseless. No puppy is ever born 



84 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

gunsby any more than whipshy, watershy, bird- 
shy, etc., but may become so by carelessness; one 
thoughtless act may result in any of the mentioned 
faults. Naturally timid, nervous or eccentric dogs 
are the ones most apt to acquire these troublesome 
faults to a more or less damaging degree, through 
seemingly such slight provocations, that usually no 
conception is had of the origin, and the fault will be 
attributed to inheritance. Faults are acquired, not 
inherited, hence can be cured if the proper methods, 
with sufficient judgment, are applied. Gunshyness 
is the most difficult fault to overcome permanently, 
and requires the best understanding of dog-nature, 
coupled with unlimited patience, but can and 
should be corrected, if the afflicted dog is worth the 
trouble. It may be stated at the outset, that 
violence is inadmissible throughout the entire course 
of correction. Kind treatment and hanger are the 
only means by which the fault can be cured success- 
fully. Apply the following method, in accordance 
with the requirements of each individual case, 
which varies to a certain degree in each dog so 
afflicted. 

Securely chain the dog to kennel; give abun- 
dance of fresh water from time to time, but do not 
offer anything to eat for twenty-four hours. Next day 
come up to dog with gun in one hand and a dish of 
tempting food in the other; if he comes out to par- 
take of his feed while the gun is being handled, 
then the fault is not of a very grave nature and may 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 85 

soon be overcome; but it will be a bad sign if he 
crowds back into kennel and endeavors to conceal 
himself. Show some tempting morsels, but do not 
permit him to take anything unless he will come up 
boldly to reach for it; do not coax in the least, and 
leave him to fast another day. Do not come up to 
dog oftener than necessary in furnishing water, and 
refrain from speaking, apparently giving him no at- 
tention. The same procedure is repeated on the 
third day; hunger may now drive the dog from his 
kennel the moment he sees the pan, well filled, 
being brought to him, and if he takes a little from 
the hand while the gun is being set upon the 
ground, raised up, laid over arm, to shoulder, etc., 
without flinching, then he is ripe for further opera- 
tion ; but should the dog merely take a piece of 
corn bread, bit of meat, etc., and instantly retreat 
into his kennel, then leave him without further pro- 
ceedings another day. On the fourth da} 7 a change 
will have come over him to such an extent that 
hunger will be more dominant than fear; if not — 
well, then just let him meditate one more day. In 
the writer's practice, a longer period than five days 
has not been required with any dog to make him 
mellow and ready for operation. 

The dog will now come up to the trainer, 
eagerly looking, pawing and squirming around for 
something to satisfy his ravenous hunger; he does 
not now mind seeing the gun handled with both 
hands while the tempting pan is set down just out 



86 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

of his reach ; a very small bit is taken and handed 
the dog to still more sharpen his appetite. The pan 
is left setting, but the trainer now retreats in a slow, 
careless way to about fifty yards from kennel, in- 
serts and fires a very light load from gun in an op- 
posite direction from dog, not looking around at him, 
as if the shooting was not intended for the dog's 
benefit, etc.; fire four or five of the squibs, then re- 
turn to dog on a circuitous route, with gun on 
arm; speak pleasantly in the usual tone; hand the 
dog a little larger piece to eat; handle the gun pro- 
miscuously, without ever eyeing him during the 
maneuver; then again step off in a roundabout way 
to about the former distance in a different direction, 
and fire again a few shots, which may be a little 
heavier loaded, in slow succession. Upon returning 
in former manner, leave the gun resting on arm, 
take up pan with dog's food and act as if he were to 
get the full contents set before him, but move off a 
little again and only hand him a good mouthful, 
set down the pan out of the dog's reach; go out a 
shorter distance than before and fire a few shots. 
All the while the dog will tug at his chain, paw and 
scratch, in the endeavor to reach the pan contain- 
ing such an inviting supply of eatables, and will 
give the noise little or no attention. Again come 
up and hand the dog a few bites, then walk off to- 
wards the house, taking the pan along, setting 
same down near the door, and begin a regular 
musket drill. The dog will eagerly watch his pan 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 87 

and involuntarily witness handling of the gun, etc. 
Lean the gun against the house, take up a small 
portion, which give the dog. A little petting may 
be well at this time. Eeturn, taking gun and dish, 
and disappear in the house. The dog's eyes will 
fairly bulge out, denoting his disappointment; his 
appetite is more craven than ever; he saw abund- 
ance to satisfy his hunger, but failed to obtain it; 
he sits or lies down and intently looks at door, 
through which ail so dear to him at this time van- 
ished. A half hour may pass, then again return with 
gun and pan well heaped up with good things. The 
dog will be delighted, expecting now to be satisfied 
to his heart's content. Set the pan down within 
four or five feet of the dog's reach ; go out to about 
thirty yards and begin firing in different directions, 
only not towards the dog. After a few shots come 
up, feed the dog a small quantity, stroke and speak 
kindly to a limited extent. If no fear was evinced 
by the dog while firing at the latter distance, then 
it may be decreased to about twenty yards, and after 
a few shots the dog must receive a few morsels. If 
seen the dog is shocked at each report, then the 
nearing has been hastened too much, and the dis- 
tance must be increased again until perfect non- 
chalance on part of the dog is attained. From day 
to day accompany the feeding with shooting, and 
gradually lessen the distance, until eventually you 
come up to within a few feet of the dog when fir- 
ing, and after each shot he is rewarded for his 



OO THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

bravery (?) with some tempting tid-bits. By this 
procedure the dog cannot fail to learn that the noise 
is harmless and only the announcement of a treat to 
himself. When the dog evinces great joy on seeing 
his master nearing with gun and dish heaped up 
with tempting food, he is ready to be taken afield 
for further practice. Hunger is not kept at such a 
painful degree at this stage, but light feeding is still 
necessary. 

Place a piece of hard-baked corn bread or hand- 
ful of cut meat into coat pocket; go to kennel with 
gun in hand; place the force collar upon dog; a cord 
twenty feet in length is attached, on end of which 
a loop is made, to be placed on upper left arm; un- 
buckle plain collar and drop to ground; produce 
the entire piece of bread, as if in the act of giving 
it to dog, but he must »uot get a bit of it at this time. 
Again place it into pocket in a way that he cannot 
fail to see where it went to; order "Come on ! " and 
start off to the open field ; at times stop, reach for 
bread, break off a small corner and give to dog; 
stow balance away and proceed. After a suitable 
place has been reached, take in hand a piece of 
bread or meat the size of a walnut; let the dog nose, 
but not take it; handle the gun promiscuously. 
Let him smell and lick at bread again, and toss the 
same to one side about fifteen feet; the dog will in- 
stantly put after it, and just at the moment he takes 
it up to eat, the gun is fired in an opposite direction. 
Even if the dog should become frightened and en- 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 89 

deavor to run off, he is prevented by the long cord 
hung upon the left arm. If he should run to the 
end of cord he will not make any struggle to escape, 
being held by the choke collar, and in this event no 
notice must be taken, but the firing continued till 
dog voluntarily comes up to get more eatables, when 
much is to be made of him, and a number of bits 
given in reward. Move off to another locality; re- 
peat the shooting and feeding. If no further fear is 
noticed the dog should be taken to a likely place of 
game (preferably quails), if to be found on ground 
devoid of thickets, because the cord must still be 
kept on arm to prevent a possibility of the dog escap- 
ing, which would be disastrous. Endeavor to get 
dog on point; flush the bird and make a clean kill 
if possible, so the dog can see bird fall, and do not 
prevent him from rushing in if he should show any 
inclination to do so, and even encourage him in do- 
ing so. Let him fetch the bird; if he should give 
it a bard squeeze and endeavor to eat the same, do 
not reprimand at this time, but get it from him in 
mildest way possible, and at once produce from 
pocket all it contains for the dog, feeding a portion 
from hand, bite by bite, adding praise and caresses 
in the meantime; then continue the hunt, repeating 
likewise till full supply of bread has been consumed, 
and the dog's hunger is once more allayed. 

Keturn home, letting dog drag the cord, which 
may now be taken from arm, but no shooting must 
be done on the way. Keep the dog on light feed, 



90 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

and give work each following day, carrying a pocket 
well filled with choice eatables for the dog, as a spe- 
cial treat to him after each bird is bagged, until all 
fear of the gun has been subdued, bearing in mind 
during entire course that shyness only is to be over- 
come at this time, and whatever other faults there 
may exist, no attention can be given them till later. 

THE RUNAWAY DOG. 

Many different forms of running away of dogs 
afield appear. Some dogs may work quite satis- 
factorily when close in to handler, but the moment 
he can get beyond a certain distance, he may take 
up a self-hunt, and pay no attention to any com- 
mand whatever, leaving the shooter helpless for a 
time, till dog comes in voluntarily, which is very 
annoying. Another form is that when the dog is 
subjected to undue hard work, gets reprimanded 
often, and probably abused, etc., he will suspend 
the hunt and merely follow to heel at quite a dis- 
tance, and when endeavored to be taken in hand 
for punishment, slip off still farther, or run home 
entirely, even if a number of miles distant, etc., etc., 
and other forms too numerous to mention. 

The cause of these troubles is bad management 
on part of the handler, and is often the direct source 
of a dog becoming gunshy by being peppered from 
his master after having exhausted his patience with 
the bolter. 

When the dog shows any tendency to bolt, place 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 91 

the collar upon him without a cord; the mere pres- 
ence of it may remind him of the required obedience, 
and should this not suffice, then attach a long, light 
cord to collar, which may drag and enable the 
handler to keep him in control. 

LOANING THE DOG. 

Any sportsman possessing a trained dog natur- 
ally takes pride in him, and proclaims the rare in- 
telligence and hunting proclivities of such animal. 
It will also hardly fail to occur that Tom, Dick and 
Harry will humbly request the loaning of the celeb- 
rity, to be taken on a hunting trip for a day or two, 
or even so many weeks, supposing, and asserting, 
that by doing so the dog will become hardened and 
put into shape for the owner, who may contemplate 
a trip himself in a week or so, etc. If you desire 
to have a good dog ruined, these requests should be 
complied with promptly. A dog and his master 
become accustomed to each other's peculiarities 
through constant association, so that the hunt will 
become pleasant to both. No two dogs hunt and 
work alike, nor do any two men handle gun and 
dog and conduct themselves alike in the field, and 
the more contrary dog and man become, the worse 
will be the confusion, to the detriment of the dog. 
While the dog's master adheres to the rule of shoot- 
ing to the dog game birds only, the friend who has 
borrowed "Prince" sallies forth with great antici- 
pations and blood in his eye, firing at everything 



92 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

coming within range, and may himself rush in upon 
every shot, unconsciously teaching the dog to break 
shot. Every rabbit that jumps up, which would 
otherwise be ignored by good "Prince," is shot at, 
and if missed, or only crippled, the dog is put on 
track of "Bunny," to be hunted and retrieved; the 
rabbit leads a good chase and finally escapes, but 
the dog has been taught to henceforth put after 
every long-ear routed, so that from this on he be- 
comes a chaser. Then a hawk is knocked off a tree 
or fence post, with only a broken wing. "Prince" 
has the reputation of being the best retriever in the 
State, consequently the new handler sends him on 
to fetch ; the dog receives a terrible clawing and 
pecking, and from this moment on refuses to touch 
any other bird, and the much-praised retriever is 
denounced as a fraud. But the shooting friend 
recollects that "Prince" has been trained by the 
force system, which is claimed to be the proper 
caper, because, whenever the occasion should arise 
that he refuses to obey, it will only be necessary to 
use proper force to effect instant obedience. A 
heavy stick is cut and liberally applied to "Prince's" 
back, and a few kicks in the ribs added, etc., — a 
whipshy dog is the result. The dog now fails to 
come in, deeming it best to keep at a safe distance 
from his tormentor; this is endeavored to be over- 
come by coaxing and going towards him; the dog, 
fearing another thrashing, draws off still farther, 
and takes up a self-hunt, during which a rabbit is 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 93 

started and chased past the gunner, who loudly 
endeavors to call off "Prince"; no heed is given ; 
the gun comes to the shoulder impulsively and the 
dog gets a load of number seven chilled shot planted 
into his body; a yell and straight-away pull for 
home follows — and one more dog is called gunshy 
by inheritance. 

There are exceptions to this rule, as well as to 
all others, but on the whole, if you have a good dog 
and wish to keep him so, do not loan him to anyone. 
On the other hand do not request or expect your 
friend who may possess a good dog to loan the same 
to you. 

TRAIN YOUR OWN DOGS. 

The sportsman who has the necessary qualifica- 
tions, inclination, access to game in its haunts, and 
ample time,. should by all means train his own dogs. 
The dog trained by another may work to satisfy 
the new handler, but for the reason that a dog's 
disposition, capabilities, inclinations, good and bad 
habits, etc., are best observed during the time of 
training, the trainer himself is capable of enforcing 
greater obedience and in general obtain a higher 
degree of perfection of his dog than any other per- 
son. Frequently dogs are placed in the hands of a 
regular market hunter to be trained, which is a great 
mistake, because this man is seldom capable of 
giving the dog -proper instruction, merely letting 
him run along at will on the hunt, and the dog is 



94 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

cuffed and kicked about at the slightest provoca- 
tion if things are not conducive to filling the game- 
bag. This hunter is after meat, training of the dog 
being quite secondary, even if he should have a con- 
ception of the requirements and the tact and 
patience to inculcate the same. A dog turned out 
by this class of trainers may, in time, become a good 
meat getter, but will be devoid of all refinements, 
hunting to suit himself entirely, chewing the shot 
birds into mince meat, and considering the whole 
proceeding a race only for the bird, eating the same 
completely if perchance he gets to it first. It is 
also quite uncertain whether the money expended 
for the training of a dog will be well invested, both 
as to the degree of education obtained through 
many so-called professional dog trainers and the 
safety of the dog itself. 

.The appended clipping from the American Field, 
date of July 22, 1893, communicated by the vener- 
able contributor of said journal — "Old Dominion" 
— speaks volumes on the subject to which further 
comment is unnecessary: 

"In reading the account in last week's American 
Field of the awfully brutal treatment of a lot of 
dogs, intrusted to McLin for training reminds me 
that the case can be duplicated here, in my own 
county, with the exception of the conflagration at 
the kennels, and the few remaining living dogs. 
This man had converted his kennels into a regular 
charnel house, from which dead and putrid dogs 
were regularly hauled out upon the commons, and 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 95 

who, had he not left the county when he did, would 
have been indicted before our grand jury for keep- 
ing a nuisance in the shape of a dog kennel. This 
person is now located in one of our Southern States, 
and frequently contributes to the columns of the 
sporting papers. Fifty odd years ago the steward, 
or 'janitor' I believe they called him, of our college 
was a negro, named John Bell, and it was a -say- 
ing' with the boys: 'If you don't believe me ask 
John Bell.' So I say, if you don't believe me ask 
Henry O'Bannon. The truth is. Mr. Editor, that 
some of these so-called dog trainers are the most 
depraved, debased, dishonest and lying set that were 
ever created. I mean, of course, the cheap sort. 
Now there are men engaged in the business of dog 
training, such men as Horace Smith, Kichards, 
Bevan, Titus, and others that I could name, whom I 
believe to be strictly honorable and conscientious, 
and who will do their work faithfully, honestly and 
intelligently; but as a general thing their charges 
are more than a man can afford to pay simply for 
the training of a dog for ordinary held work. They 
train for public field trials, and are at a heavy ex- 
pense, and I cannot see how they can thoroughly 
train a dog for less than they ask, and it is a ques- 
tion whether a man had not better pay their charges, 
even for the work on an ordinary shooting dog, than 
to entrust a dog to the hands of these irresponsible, 
cheap twenty-five or thirty per cent, fellows, with 
no certainty that he will ever see his dog again, and 
with an absolute certainty that if he ever does see 
him the dog will have no more field training than a 
pig. Oh! haven't I been there, and haven't I had 
a sweet experience with them, guaranteeing my 
dogs, upon their say-so, to give satisfaction, and then 
have them shipped back to me and thrown on my 



96 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

bands, a lot of absolutely worthless brutes, with my 
money all gone for express charges and their so- 
called training? One of the pet schemes of this dog 
trainer, when he had a dog of more than ordinary 
promise, was to break him pretty well and then sell 
him himself and report him as dead, and this man 
is still a public trainer." Old Dominion. 

White Post, Va. 

MUDDY PAWS. 

Quite a number of dogs acquire the bad habit of 
jumping all over a person, in a playful way, which 
is most disagreeable to both the master and his 
friends. The latter are not spared, unless they make 
use of boot heels, canes, etc., to ward off too friendly 
a dog. The fault is easily overcome by stepping 
upon the dog's hind toes lightly, but sufficiently to 
cause some pain, the moment he raises up to place 
his fore foot upon you. A few repetitions will 
break him. 

EVERYBODY'S DOG. 

Both the Pointer and Setter are of friendly incli- 
nations towards mankind, some going so far as to 
allow themselves to be petted and coaxed along by 
any one, soon becoming everybody's dog. This should 
not be tolerated. It is by far better if the dog shuns 
all strangers, and even with his master's friends 
he should not become too intimate. 

If the fault is noticed, request any one the dog 
may come up to, to quickly step upon the dog's fore- 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 97 

feet quite hard enough to cause a yell and retreat. 
If this will be repeated only a few times the dog 
will fairly snarl and show fight to any one that may 
endeavor to coax him along. The dog is quite in- 
telligent and possessed of good reasoning power, 
and will at once perceive the danger to himself in 
being petted by anyone but his master. 

PROPER FEEDING. 

From the time on when the puppy becomes 
chained to his kennel and training will be begun, 
care must be taken not to either over or to under 
feed. If fed too highly, especially with fatty sub- 
stances, then, owing to insufficient exercise, the 
puppy will become lazy, inattentive, and the worst 
of all, mangy. If underfed, he becomes restless, 
will fall to continuous barking and howling, scratch 
and paw up the dirt around his kennel, get thin, 
weakly and unfit to endure the hardships during 
the course of training. No more pitiful or disgust- 
ing sight can be imagined than a mere skeleton of 
a dog being dragged around helplessly on a spike 
collar, expected to obey orders, and in default is sub- 
jected to such cruel punishment that he yells aloud 
and crawls to the tormentor's feet, begging for 
sympathy. If but one dog is to be cared for, the 
table usually affords ample offal, but if a number 
are kept, it will become necessary to provide 
specially cooked food for them, which may be best 
done by baking a sufficiently large loaf of corn 



98 THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 

bread daily to go around morning and night. Corn 
bred crumbled up into milk (at any stage — sweet to 
clabber ) is the very best to be given a dog regularly, 
and from time to time a few large bones should be 
procured for the puppies to gnaw on ; meat is un- 
necessary, and should even be 'avoided beyond a 
limited quantity. Some dogs eat ravenously and 
still look thin, as if starved, which is usually caused 
by being afflicted with worms, and should be at- 
tended to. Make it a rule to attend to feeding of 
the dogs in person, avoid all soured or putrefied 
substances, give sufficient in quantity and quality 
without ever glutting them. If the dog is to be 
hunted during the day, he should not be fed more 
than his usual allowance at regular time in the 
morning; a glutted dog cannot and will not work 
satisfactorily. When a rest is taken after a hunt 
for lunch, the dog may receive a lew bits also, to 
replenish his strength. Upon returning home in 
the evening and given time to rest, he should be 
liberally supplied with food, fitting him for hard 
work the following day. 

If a shooting trip of several days or more is 
contemplated, it will be best not to trust to luck in 
procuring dog feed during .such an outing, but a 
sufficient supply should invariably be taken along 
instead, which (unless some of the patent dog bis- 
cuits are preferred) may best be done in a manner 
as follows: Secure scraps at your meat shop, or 
buy a chunk of cheapest beef; put this into a kettle 



THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 



99 



with water and pinch of salt, and boil till meat falls 
from the bones; fish out the latter, and with a fork 
stir meat into shreds, Lo remain in the broth. Now 
stir and work into this a mixture consisting half 
and half of corn meal and shorts to a stiff dough; 
fill into pans and place into a slow oven till quite 
well baked through. When cooled cut into suitable 
pieces. The quantity of meat thus worked into 
meal and shorts may be in proportion of one to six. 
At the slaughter house the head of a beef may be 
had for the asking, and such a one may be utilized 
for above purpose with very good results. After 
boiling, the bones of the head become quite brittle, 
and these form a splendid part of the dog's diet. 
Dog bread made as above stated will keep for a long 
time, and it embodies nourishment of the very best 
quality; the dogs eat it with great relish, and re- 
main in excellent condition. 




